There is nothing like watching baby Clay in the early seasons and writing about your favourite SEAL. No spoilers here but is anyone else boycotting the newest season with me? I know what happens, but I refuse to see it with my own eyes. It's too sad!

Enjoy some more whumping of our favourite curly-haired, baby blue-eyed SEAL! I still have some more ideas before I finish this story, but the end is coming, unfortunately. Maybe I will do some random one-shots of the team together or a second part; I can't leave Liz and Clay's story alone! Let me know if you would like me to make this 10000 chapters and keep going with their lives and whumpage, as these two are danger magnets, or go a different route and split it up. I could write about this show for years, and all thoughts on scenarios are welcome! Hahaha

Chapter 32

As Clay lay there blinking, trying to take in his surroundings, he felt something warm against his cheek, moving around behind and above him as something ran through his hair. Since he could not focus and take in his surroundings, he decided it was best to embrace the comfort and snuggle in closer to the warm feeling behind him and touch his cheek.

"Hey baby, it's time to get up. We can't be late like yesterday."

Clay froze, stiffened at the familiar voice, and shifted away to stop the contact from the voice behind him. He knew he had heard it before but could not place it. It was a voice he had heard often in the past year and did give him comfort. But he also knew deep down he should not be hearing this voice. Not anymore.

"Come on, babe, don't make me drag you out of bed."

The warmth returned as he lay there squeezing his eyes shut, trying to place things together in his mind. As soon as the motion came and started to run through his hair, he melted into a puddle, and his body decided to disobey his thoughts and snuggled back down against the warmth behind him. He needed that touch; it was familiar and made him feel better.

Clay lay there content as he decided he was ok in this place and safe. He did not need to leave, no matter how much a gut feeling of danger seemed to try and seep up into his thoughts. He tried to shake his head to clear the fuzz of fear that he could not figure out. It kept creeping back into his thoughts, and soon he felt sick as his gut tried to wrench itself together. The more he shook his head; he started to feel a new sensation. Pain. Lying there, he froze and concentrated on this new sensation that was trying to push through in his torso. Why was he in pain while lying in bed with his girlfriend? Well, at least he thought it was his girlfriend as he knew this scenario of waking up with her was familiar and had to have happened before at some point, he could not place when and with who, but he knew one thing. This place was his home, his comfort.

The voice and touch soothed him as the creeping up pain he felt seemed to decimate the closer he snuggled into the body behind him. The more the other body touched him, her hand rubbed over the areas of pain, erasing the feeling with one touch. This person had that effect on him, and it was something he craved and needed in his life. The miracle worker in his life that had the magic to erase all pain, fear and unease and replace it with comfort and …. Is that love?

"Mmmmm, just a few more minutes," Clay mumbled. Not ready to get up and face the next step. To leave this bed and the warm embrace.

"You said that ten minutes ago; this is not my choice. You told me you had to be on base early today."

There was some bitterness underlying that last sentence. Was that Rebecca? Only she would resent his job if he was going to base. She only wanted him for his potential for power as he moved up through the ranks, attended her parties, and flirted with this opportunity of being a power couple. Him in the military, and her in politics. Who else would be bitter about him leaving bed and having to go to work early? Or was he looking into things trying to read between the lines for something that was not there, as anyone would be bitter if you had to get up earlier than expected and leave the warm bed and the arms of the person you love? Hell, he was a bit bitter if he thought about it. Whose dumb idea was this to get up early?

"Major regrets there!" Clay mumbled as he slowly rolled over onto his back, reaching up for the figure beside him.

Now that the warm body was finally in sight, he could see it was someone he knew and was very familiar with, but the head and hair were still blurry as he tried again to blink away the fog. Nothing was recognizable on the body, the clothes or the room around them. But he just knew he knew this woman, and she was someone he enjoyed having in his life.

More pain crept onto his skin and seeped into his muscles, bones pulling into his body towards the bed. The pain radiated through him along his legs, torso, and arms and finally landed on his head. Then the fear and confusion hit him hard like a brick causing him to wince and groan. Something was wrong.

"You ok?"

"I don't know." Clay winced again, deciding it was best not to move. He tried to get up onto his elbows, and moving made him want to cry out in pain, but something deep inside told him not to and that he needed to be quiet.

Movement beside him made him stiffen up as he lay there tense, his eyes squeezed shut. But then soon he felt the warm hands against his chest, and a pair of bare legs straddle his hips. And then again, like magic, the pain disappeared, and his body relaxed against the bed as he sank into bliss. Slowly looking up and blinking as a smile crept up on his lips, the face of the woman now on top of him came into a clear picture. And everything started to become more apparent. He was in a small bed within a minimal empty room that he has been in a few times… recently. With one more blink and a slight shake of his head, the fuzziness completely faded, and everything hit him hard.

Clay finally realized it was a memory his mind decided to push into overdrive and add in a few details as he lay there watching a movie he was playing in his head as he was now able to put the puzzle pieces together from him waking up with her in the barracks after they got her back flood into his brain. He finally could focus on her face leaning over on top of him. This was the moment in his life he felt the most at home, entangled in the arms of someone he loved. Liz. Her hair was cascading down over him onto his chest, keeping him in their bubble, hiding their surroundings as she leaned forward, and their lips finally touched as Clay grabbed her hips and pulled her closer to him. Her hands rubbed his chest and slowly crawled to his jaw, holding him there, not letting him break the kiss. Not yet. One hand then continued its climb, entangled itself into his hair, and grabbed a handful of the blonde curls with one soft tug. Liz smiled into the kiss as a growling moan came out deep from Clay's throat, and she swallowed her moan as her lips pushed against his harder and with such need, he thought their mouths would combust. His hands gripped her hips harder, pulling her into him, and one hand slipped up her back as he pulled her into a hug. There was no way he was letting her go. Never.

…

Bravo

Everyone has been at a loss feeling out of their comfort zone as they huddled up in their room. They were lost as they waited for their next steps. No orders and no direction made them uneasy. And slowly, chaos followed.

"We need to get out of here!" Sonny huffs as he is now getting antsy with no direction.

Jason left a while ago on a manhunt for Blackburn and Cerb. Liz refuses to move or even really speak, for that matter. Ray is at a loss on what to say next, trying to rally the team and keep up their morale. Brock and Trent have fallen silent but seem to be communicating through a quiet conversation along the table as they try to continue studying the papers and screens spewed. Davis was now sitting along the bed with Liz keeping her in her sight but not crowding.

No one knew what to do.

Jason needed to return with their remaining teammates so they could devise a plan and have something to work for. Some direction to bring Clay home.

Everyone needed to get their heads back and in control.

Within moments Jason stormed into the room, slamming the door as he barreled toward his team. The sudden movement and nose made everyone jump, but Liz stood up and stared at Jason and the open door behind him. No one let out a breath as they watched the door waiting for some good news.

With one quick blink, a blur of brown and black flew into the room, charging up to Brock. One sharp bark was all the team needed to lift their spirits and push a fire behind their eyes. Step one was complete. Cerb was back. He would find Clay.

As everyone let out the breaths they did not know they had sucked in, Blackburn turned into the room, shut the door behind him and leaned against it as a hand went up onto his face rubbing up his head into his combed hair. A trait he must have gotten from Jason.

Step two is complete.

"Glad to have you back, sir," Davis called out as she made her way toward Eric as he straightened up and pulled his shirt down. A subconscious act to get his head grounded and back in the game.

"With all due respect, what the fuck is going on?" Trent called out as he stared down Blackburn, watching him go from stressed to commander mode in a few movements. It was time for business.

"Yeah, Eric, what the fuck happened?" Jason snarked as he tried to gather his head and bring all his thoughts back to the mission. Clay. The kid was coming home today. He was missing a piece of himself and would go through hell to get it back.

Cerb decided then it was time to do his rounds. The serious notes hanging off of everyone made him a bit uncomfortable. He knew something was wrong as he came up short on his rounds. One of his pups was missing, but they always tended to be short since they moved around so much unless they were home on base. It was hard to keep track as his humans never stayed in one place, but he knew they could care for themselves. But his pups needed a little extra supervision; one was here on the bed, but the other was missing. So he was a bit concerned.

Whining quietly, Cerb finally made his way toward Liz, who sat on the bed staring at the wall. As his cold, wet nose met skin contact on her hand, she jumped up a bit with a small gasp but quickly got control of herself and looked down and locked her eyes with the brown round ones staring back at her. No movement.

"Cerb." She whispered as her hands went up to grab a fistful of comforting fur as she shifted in place. Hands ten instinctively scratching behind his ears as his head came and rested on her knee.

This was the first word she uttered in a while, and it threw the team off guard. Everyone shot their eyes toward her and Cerb as he embraced the scratches and let out another slight whine.

"I know. We will bring him home." Liz talked to Cerb, knowing deep down he was crying for their missing team member. They were attached at the hip; either one had trouble functioning without the other, and when one was injured, they had a sixth sense. They knew when they were in trouble and needed their help. They bonded, and there was no breaking that bond. They hoped this bond allowed Cerb to know Clay was injured and not dead. And the fact that Cerb was only crying and not being destructive and disobedient gave them all hope. There was hope.

Clearing his throat, Blackburn walked over to the table alongside Trent and Brock as he went to skim the contents. Ray, Jason and Davis followed, ready to listen and get some answers. Sonny was more reserved, torn on what he needed to do. He needed to find Clay and help with the planning, but he also needed to watch out for Liz. Clay has never asked him to, but he knew he was responsible for watching out for his best friend's girl, no matter their situation. He was there to support Clay, everything he stood for, and what meant the most to him.

Thankfully Sonny's internal battle was dismissed as he watched Liz stand up, look at Cerb, and slowly make her way toward the team across the room. Something in her clicked, and she got out of her head and was ready to get their boy back. Her fire was finally lit, and now the main thing they had to watch out for with her was that the fire could get out of control and burn down cities. When she was determined on something, no matter what or who got in her way, there was no stopping her. She has even gone after Clay a few times as he tried to reason with her and put that fire out. Thankfully, he is the only one who can douse that fire with one touch and glance. Jason also had that control over her, but he sometimes needed a whole lake to put out the fire compared to Clay's bucket.

They needed this drive, and the team slowly gathered together, feeding off each other and their determination. There was no stopping them. Now they just needed some answers and a plan.

"Ok, Eric. Let's hear it." Jason yelled out. He was calming down, knowing that there was hope. He hated to ride on hope and not facts, but in this situation, he needed to be their leader and push everything down. There would be a time to break while he is on the plane with Clay beside him.