What Happens on Bravo - Almost Seventeen

by lunarenee16

In the world of What Happens on Bravo Sixteen. Clay is a few weeks away from turning seventeen. Being raised by Jason who took him in when the team drafted him after being misled about his age, this is a young Clay story that includes disciplinary spanking and lots of hurt/comfort as Clay has a conflict with Mandy and struggles to believe that Bravo is his true forever family.

What Happens on Bravo - Almost Seventeen

Clay was having a rough week.

Things in his world had finally seemed to be settling down, and then out of nowhere, the old fears and insecurities that were always lurking just below the surface haunted him once more. Laying in his bed, staring into the darkness, he wondered if he would ever be truly okay. If he could ever go to sleep completely confident that he wouldn't wake up to find himself alone again.

Clay knew that Jason loved him. He knew that his team would do anything for him. They had never let him down. Yet somehow, alone in the dark, his thoughts would race and the fear that they would somehow change their minds and realize a pain in the ass kid who wasn't even really their own kid was definitely more trouble than he was worth. Maybe Mandy was right about him.

Clay thought to himself that his big mouth had gotten him in trouble once again. Trent, who always had his back, but never tolerated his back talk, had punished him for being rude to Bravo's CIA liaison. Reaching back to rub his sore backside, Clay knew that as awful as it was to be spanked by the man he relied on for comfort, he was lucky that it was Trent and not Jason who had witnessed him snap disrespectfully back at Mandy when she confronted him during a meeting on base.

His butt was sore and his ego bruised, but at least he was able to eat his dinner sitting down. Had his Master Chief and adopted dad been in the room to hear his sarcastic tone and rude response, Clay had no doubt that if he wasn't sent to bed without dinner, he would surely be eating his chicken standing at the counter rubbing his blazing ass. Jason would have blown his stack hearing Clay's sass. And the spanking spoon would surely have made an appearance at his kid's lesson learned the hard way.

Trent had punished the kid because he had earned it with his behavior, and the medic had no doubt if Jason had been there, it's exactly what his longtime friend and brother would have done. But as the kid's consistent source of comfort and daily care, Trent was conflicted. He knew Clay needed to be spanked, and he always gave the kid what he needed, but Trent also felt that Mandy was way out of line with her criticism of their rookie.

Jason was out of town for the week visiting Emma in New York. Mandy took advantage of his absence to question and rebuke Clay in a way that she would never try with Jason in the room. The entire team was first shocked, then pissed at her tone and aggressive demeanor toward their kid. If Ray hadn't stepped in and shut her down, backed up by Blackburn who was also surprised by her attitude, Trent knew that Sonny would have lost his shit before taking the kid and storming out of the room.

It was no secret to anyone on Bravo that Mandy took issue with the special accomodations Jason had requested and received when it was revealed that their young rookie was in fact a lot younger than the team had been led to believe. Jason had been told that Clay was twenty, which would have made him a reasonable age for a rookie SEAL on a regular team, but much younger than any tier one operator the team had ever encountered.

After his friend and former instructor had convinced Jason to draft the kid despite his age because of his special skills, the team discovered that Clay was actually only sixteen, a year younger than the age requirement to enlist.

Mandy, along with Adam and some upper brass had known and kept the information from the team. Once Clay admitted the truth to Jason and Trent about his age and abusive childhood, Jason had taken the kid in and treated him as his own child. As Master Chief of Bravo, Jason had secured, in writing, permission to remove Clay from any mission at his own discretion until the boy was actually twenty. At that point, Clay's enlistment would be up for renewal, and he would be able to decide if he wanted to remain on Bravo or explore other options.

Mandy was not happy that Jason had chosen to leave Clay back from one of her pet missions to Liberia a few months earlier. Since then, she had been critical of Jason and the team for what she felt was 'coddling' and 'babying' a qualified tier one operator who should be expected to do his job. Jason knew she had no power over him or Clay and chose to ignore their liaison's snarky jabs which frustrated and angered Mandy more than if the team leader had actually argued with her.

Since Jason was clearly not concerned with Mandy's upset, the rest of the team, minus Clay, chose to ignore her as well. Knowing their kid well, the older men understood that Clay did not yet developmentally possess the maturity or self-confidence to disregard the comments of their CIA liaison. He had been reassured by Jason and Trent on multiple occasions that Mandy was just frustrated with Jason, and had no influence over Clay's position or responsibilities on Bravo. Ray, Sonny and Brock had also told him to ignore her complaints and let the adults deal with their own squabbles.

The kid tried. But he couldn't do it.

Whether intentional or not, Mandy's snide comments played on Clay's most deep-seeded fears. When she said he was coddled and babied, Clay heard 'he's not good enough for Bravo'. When Mandy said he was being paid to do his job, the kid heard 'he's not doing his job and should not be on Bravo'. There was nothing Clay feared more than losing Bravo.

In Clay's mind, he had nothing without Bravo. If Mandy convinced the upper brass he should be thrown off Bravo, he would lose everything. Jason wouldn't want to be his dad and protect him if he wasn't part of Bravo. Trent wouldn't take care of him if he wasn't part of Bravo. Brock wouldn't be his big brother and look out for him. Ray wouldn't teach him everything he knew about shooting. Sonny wouldn't tease him, grouch at him and scare the hell out of anyone who dared look sideways at him if he wasn't part of Bravo. He wouldn't be their kid anymore. They wouldn't love him anymore. He would be all alone. And Clay knew that the bad things only happened when he was alone.

That's what was running through Clay's mind back at the meeting. He had never warmed up to Mandy. She was standoffish and all business. Not easy going and friendly like Lisa, or serious but kind like Blackburn. And he didn't trust her. Clay had faced repeated betrayals in his young life by people who should have loved and cared for him. He did not trust easily. But, he trusted Jason.

Clay trusted Jason, and he trusted his team, the only family who ever wanted him. They chose to trust Mandy, so he knew that he had to try to get along with her. Clay felt that he was trying. Mandy felt that he was purposely needy and annoying. Jason always stood up for Clay with their liaison, but he also demanded that his rookie, his kid, be respectful to the adults in the room, whether he liked them or not.

Trent understood their kid better than anyone, including Jason. When he decided to be a pain in the ass, no one could push Jason's buttons like his kid. Unlike his boss, Trent never lost his temper, and rarely raised his voice with Clay. He was as strict and no nonsense with the kid as Jason, the only 'not dad' member of the team to give him a real spanking, not just a warning smack on his backside. And Trent knew that this animosity between the CIA liaison and their rookie was a fiasco waiting to happen.

Awake in his bed, in the room across from the spare bedroom where he suspected the kid was also not sleeping, Trent was kicking himself for not pushing Jason to put a stop to this brewing conflict before it blew up in their collective faces. He had chosen not to share the details of the earlier meeting when his boss had called to check on how things were going at work, and how Clay was doing at home with him. This was the first time Jason had been separated from the kid since he had left him home with Brock's wife when the team was spun up to Liberia.

That had been a full blown disaster complete with an epic Clay meltdown and three day hospital stay to sort out the kid's anxiety fueled stomach issues. Jason had been hesitant to leave the kid behind again, but he trusted Clay would be fine staying with Trent, his go-to fixer and caregiver. Jason hadn't spent time with his older daughter in almost a year, and Trent didn't want to worry him with work issues while he was on vacation.

Clay had happily kept his mouth shut about the day's events when Trent told him not to upset Jason when he called. The kid knew he would get an epic scolding and lecture from his team leader and adopted dad when Jason returned and got the word about his disrespectful attitude with Mandy. Clay was not interested in having that discussion any sooner than necessary.

Huddling under Trent's arm, attached to the older man's side on the couch after he'd been soundly spanked for his earlier behavior, Clay worried what Jason's reaction would be when he returned home.

"Are you going to tell Jason?" Clay asked, still sniffling and rubbing his aching bottom.

"You know we can't keep this from him," Trent answered, gently stroking the boy's cheek with his thumb to help him settle down from being punished.

"Do you think he will give me another spanking when he gets home?" Clay whispered, holding tight to the medic's t-shirt.

"What?" Trent asked, surprised. "No Clay. The way you talked and acted with Mandy today was disrespectful and not acceptable in any way. But, we talked about what you did wrong and why it needs to never happen again. You were punished because you needed a good spanking after that performance, and it's over now. You have a clean slate, and Jason is not going to punish you again."

Clay looked up at Trent with his blotchy face and eyes swollen from crying like a baby while his most favorite caregiver spanked his bare ass until it was red as an apple and felt like it might burst into flames. "Are you sure?" he asked, looking pitiful and breaking the medic's heart.

"Honey, I'm positive," Trent assured him. "When has Jason ever spanked you twice for the same offense?"

"He hasn't before," Clay hesitated. "But I think he really likes Mandy. I'm afraid he's going to be super mad at me when he gets home."

"Well, I guarantee he doesn't like Mandy anywhere near as much as he loves you, Squirt," Trent reassured the kid, knowing exactly how his mind was working. "And the boss may seem mad when he hears what happened, but I promise you, he's worried, and it comes off looking like mad."

"Worried about Mandy being mad?" Clay asked, softly.

"No sweetheart," Trent said, patiently. "Worried about his kid, and why you would get so worked up and upset about the CIA liaison being snippy and in your face."

When Clay buried his face in the older man's side and wrapped his arms around his waist without responding, Trent knew that this was a situation that Jason was going to need to address when he returned.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" Trent questioned, moving his hand from the kid's head down to softly rub and pat his obviously sore bottom. "I can't help, if I don't know what is scaring you. You deal with a lot more aggressive and dangerous people than Mandy Ellis on a regular basis. And I've never seen you lose it like that."

"There is something I don't know, and since my many talents don't include mind-reading, you are going to need to help me out here," Trent said.

Afraid to voice his fears out loud, as if saying it might make it real, Clay tried to change the subject. "Trent," he whispered, looking up with his best sad face. "Can I have the frozen peas on my butt? Please? It really hurts."

Trent snorted, knowing exactly what his persuasive kid was trying to do. "I'm sure it really hurts. I let you have it good. You earned yourself a spanking, and it's supposed to hurt. If it felt good, it wouldn't be a punishment, now would it?"

"So I guess that means no frozen peas," Clay pouted, sliding down and turning onto his stomach so he could rest his head on Trent's leg.

"Nope," the medic replied, rubbing circles on the kid's back. "We'll see about some peas tomorrow if your skinny little butt is still bothering you. But for now, I think a night sleeping on your belly, nursing a sore tail is just what you need to remember and think about the next time you consider back-talking the adults."

"I'm sorry Trent," Clay said, closing his eyes and trying to relax against the older man's leg. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Shorty," Trent smiled, slowly lulling him to sleep. "And I'm not the one you need to apologize to. Tomorrow, first thing, we are stopping by Mandy's office on base so you can give her the big, blue, baby eyes and tell her how sorry you are for being disrespectful."

"I'll try," Clay said, quietly. "But, I don't think she's gonna want to see me. I don't think she likes me, Trent."

"Everyone likes you, Squirt," Trent said. "She'll come around. And if she doesn't, it's her loss."

"Okay," Clay said, sounding hesitant and very young. "I hope you're right."

"I'm always right when it comes to you, Kiddo," Trent said, giving the kid a gentle shake to rouse him before he fell completely to sleep. "Come on, let's get to bed. It's late and tomorrow will be another long day."

"No, Trent," Clay whined. "I want to stay out here."

"Nope," the older man said, standing and pulling the half asleep kid up with him. "You are going to get some real sleep in a real bed. Let's go."

A few minutes later, the kid was sleeping on his belly in Trent's spare room. After checking to be sure the house was locked up for the night, and checking on Clay to be sure he was sleeping soundly, Trent gave the sleeping boy a kiss on his messy, blond hair. He headed off to his own bed hoping that the kid made it through the night sleeping peacefully.

The next morning, Trent woke Clay early so he could have a quick bowl of Lucky Charms and they could get to base and make apologies to their CIA liaison before the rest of the team arrived. Trent knew that the other guys, especially Sonny and Brock, were not happy with the way Mandy talked to their kid. The medic wanted the apologies over and done with before the rest of the team had a chance to add their two cents and give Clay the idea that maybe his reaction to Mandy had been justified.

Secretly, Trent was as put off by the woman as his brothers. But he knew if Jason were there, his boss would be tough on the kid and expect an appropriate apology and excellent behavior for the rest of the week. They had all assured their team leader that they had his back when it came to keeping the kid in check. Trent was damn well going to be sure their rookie did what he needed to do, and then hopefully avoided the prickly woman for the rest of the day.

Trent was a little worried about Clay's apparent lack of appetite. The boy had dumped most of the cereal into the garbage before sticking close to his comforter as they walked out to Trent's truck in the driveway. He was quiet and still the whole way to base, which was also not his usual morning MO. Once they arrived and Trent parked in the lot, Clay turned to the older man, speaking for the first time since leaving the house.

"Trent," he said, looking up at his pseudo-uncle and protector while Jase was away. "Will you come with me to Mandy's office?"

Trent eyed the kid closely. "Are you okay, Clay?"

The younger boy nodded, not making eye contact, which told the medic he most definitely was not okay. "I'm good, Trent. I promise. I just don't want to see her alone," Clay said quietly. "I don't know what to say to her."

"Just tell her that you are sorry, and it won't happen again, honey," Trent said, gently, motioning for the kid to vacate the truck and follow him into the building. "That's all you need to say. Then we'll meet the guys at the cages and get set for the day."

The kid did exactly as he was told and apologized to both Mandy and Blackburn who happened to be in her office when Clay arrived, led by Trent.

Trent was less than impressed with Mandy's response to the kid's attempt to apologize. The look Bravo's medic gave first Blackburn, and then their liaison let them both know he was firmly in the kid's corner.

Clay had walked up to Mandy's desk hesitantly, having never been in her office and clearly unsure how he was supposed to greet their liaison. The older woman made zero attempt to put the kid who was more than young enough to be her child at ease. She stared back at him with an icy expression for several long seconds before she sighed as if annoyed at his presence. "Yes, Spenser? Is there a reason for this visit?"

Clay looked between Trent and Blackburn before pulling himself together and making eye contact with Mandy. "Yes, Ms. Ellis," he said, voice steady. "I want to apologize for yesterday. I should never have talked to you like that. It won't happen again. I'm sorry."

"You should be sorry," she replied with her boss bitch tone as Sonny called it. "Does Jason know about your childish behavior in the meeting yesterday?"

Clay opened his mouth, but had no idea how to respond. Eric was not happy with the way Mandy was talking to the kid. He could see Trent was clearly unhappy and trying to avoid telling the woman off in front of Clay.

"Mandy," Blackburn said, making eye contact with the CIA contact. "The kid apologized. Let's move on. Jason is on a well earned leave, and I'm confident that Trent is more than capable of taking care of any issues."

"Obviously not," Mandy started. "If the tier one operator was under control, he wouldn't be behaving like a spoiled child."

Seeing the hurt expression on the kid's face, Blackburn opened his mouth to end this conversation, but Bravo's furious medic beat him to it.

"Go wait for me in the hall, Clay," Trent said, nodding toward the door.

"Yes, sir," the kid said quietly, turning to do as he was told.

Eric stood and, reaching out, tousled the boy's curls affectionately. He smiled kindly at the kid who was looking nervous, like he might be in trouble again. Opening the door, Bravo's captain patted their kid on the back gently. "You're good, son," he said. "Trent will be out shortly."

Once Clay was out of the room, Trent turned to stare down Ellis with barely contained fury in his eyes. "The tier one operator is a child," Trent said, coldly. "Which you knew and lied about putting him and our entire team at risk for months." He paused to let that sit in the silent air.

"Last I knew, Ms. Ellis, you work for the CIA. You are not now, and have never been in the Navy. You have zero right to give orders or even speak to our rookie. If you have something to say to Bravo Six moving forward, I believe procedure dictates you go through Master Chief Hayes."

Mandy was clearly stunned by the normally unflappable medic's reaction. "Trent…" she began.

Ignoring her, Trent turned to Blackburn, practically vibrating with anger. "Am I confused about something sir?" he asked his commanding officer. "Is Ms. Ellis now a Naval Officer in charge of our not yet seventeen-year-old sniper?"

"No, she is not," Blackburn replied, mildly.

Turning to Mandy, the captain continued, "Bravo Four is correct. Any information relating to a Bravo mission is to be shared at the official briefing. If you need to get any information to Bravo Six or any other member of the team, procedure dictates you share the information with Master Chief Hayes. He will decide how and when to communicate that information to his team. While Bravo One is on leave, if you have anything you believe should be shared with Bravo, you can pass that information on to me, and I will communicate it to my men as I deem appropriate."

Mandy was silent.

"Thank you sir," Trent said, nodding at Blackburn.

"Is the kid alright?" Blackburn asked, looking concerned. "He looks worn out and pale."

"It's been a long week already," Trent said, completely ignoring Mandy. "He misses Jason. I had to punish the kid yesterday for his behavior in the meeting, and he wasn't sleeping soundly last night or sitting comfortably today. But, he'll be fine. I'm going to take him to the cages and get him sorted out now."

"If you need anything, let me know," Eric said.

"Thanks. I will," Trent said, turning to round up his kid from the hall and get him down to Bravo's cages.

Clay was standing wide-eyed in the hall when Trent emerged, closing the door behind himself. "Holy Crap, Trent," Clay sputtered. "What happened? Are we in trouble? Tell them it was all my fault. You didn't do anything wrong."

Trent laughed. He was still seething on the inside at how Mandy treated the kid who had innocently come to apologize to her, but he refused to show his anger to Clay. "Everything is fine, Squirt," Trent said, opening his arms and allowing his kid to walk into his strong embrace for a quick hug.

"Blackburn is right, Clay," Trent said, concerned. "You are worn out and looking peaked."

"I'm okay, Trent," Clay said.

"I'll be the judge of that," Trent responded, putting his arm around the kid and leading him back toward the cages where he knew the rest of the team would be waiting to hear how it went with Mandy.

When Trent with Clay trailing behind arrived at Bravo's cage room, the rest of the team was already there with Sonny complaining about the end of the month paperwork they were tasked with completing before Jason arrived home in two days.

"Did you get everything sorted out with Mandy?" Ray questioned, knowing that Trent had planned to take the kid to apologize as soon as they arrived on base.

"Yes," Trent said, pulling Clay over to stand in front of him and wrapping his right arm around the kid's middle affectionately. "It's over, and we are moving on," he finished as Clay leaned back into the hold the older man had on him.

Making eye contact with his teammates over the kid's head, the look Trent shared told the other men that their medic had more to share, but now was not the time. All three men could see that Clay looked like he hadn't slept and was quietly leaning back against Trent with none of his usual morning motormouth energy.

They continued to get themselves ready for a long, boring day of paperwork while Trent got the kid settled. "Are you hungry Clay?" Trent questioned. "You only ate a few bites of your cereal this morning. There's breakfast bars in the cupboard. Or Brock can probably walk with you over to the cafeteria to get something."

"Sure, Squirt," Brock said from his cage. "I could go for a cinnamon danish."

"I'm not really hungry, Trent." Clay said, quietly. "But can I go with Brock and get a drink?"

"You sure you're feeling okay?" Trent questioned. "You're awfully quiet."

Clay shrugged. "I guess my stomach doesn't feel too great, and I'm kinda tired," he said, looking up at Trent. The medic could see the dark circles under his eyes, and he knew the boy hadn't slept well.

"How long has your belly been aching?" Trent questioned, reaching out to feel the kid's forehead. "You're not overheated, so that's good. But, I'm guessing you didn't get much sleep last night."

"It just started to hurt a little when we got to base. It's not too bad, Trent," he said, quietly.

"What kept you up, Buddy?" Sonny said, looking concerned and using a gentle voice strictly reserved for his baby brother.

Clay looked down, embarrassed, his ears reddening. "Couldn't get comfortable, I guess," he shrugged.

"Sore butt?" Sonny questioned, waving Clay over to his cage where he was leaning in the doorway. He wrapped his arms around the kid protectively.

When Clay nodded silently, Sonny shot the medic a dirty look. "Trent is an old, hard ass meanie."

Clay laughed, leaning into the older man's strong embrace. "He wouldn't let me have the frozen peas either," he whined.

"Come on Trent," Brock said. "That's cruel and unusual punishment."

Ray shook his head. "Yeah, well, I know someone who should be thanking his lucky stars he had Trent to deal with and not the Boss. It would take more than a bag of frozen peas to douse the tail fire Jason would have lit on your little fanny if he had been here yesterday."

"Last night, remember you said if it was still hurting today, we could talk about some peas?" Clay said, turning in Sonny's arms to look over at Trent.

"Still sore?" Trent asked.

"A little," Clay said, reaching behind himself to rub cautiously. "Not too bad now."

"Well, I'm glad to hear your backside isn't in danger of falling off on you," Trent smiled at the kid. "I'm fresh out of frozen peas here in my cage. But, how about you and Brock go snag us all some danishes and coffee to get us through the piles of paperwork."

Digging through his bag, Trent pulled out a gallon size ziplock bag and handed it to the kid. "Find someone in the kitchen to fill that half-way with ice. Get yourself a bottle of apple juice. After you've had a dose of medicine and finished your juice, you're going down for a long nap on the cot in the corner."

"I don't need a nap, Trent," Clay grouched, sounding all of twelve. "I'm not a baby."

Trent snorted. "Yeah, well, you're our baby, so deal with it. And you're going down either way. But, if you are a good boy and don't fuss, I'll let you have the ice on your bottom until you fall asleep."

Clay was quiet, seeming to consider his options.

"Come on, Kid," Brock said, tugging on the kid's arm and walking toward the door. "Sounds like a good deal to me. And we need to get moving before all the cinnamon rolls are gone."

Clay nodded, tagging along behind Brock like the little brother he was. "Okay," he said. "Can I get a blueberry?"

"Sure thing, tough guy," Brock said, holding open the door and motioning the kid to go ahead of him. Once Clay was in the hallway, the dog handler turned to shake his head at his brothers, smiling at how easy it was to manipulate their kid if, like Trent, you were the best.

An hour later, Bravo was spread out around the table completing paperwork and talking quietly while their kid slept soundly on a cot a few feet away, just as Trent had said he would be sleeping. When Bravo's two youngest returned from the cafeteria juggling coffee and a box full of pastries, Ray and Sonny joined Brock at the table digging into the danish and cinnamon buns while Trent tended to Clay.

While Clay was off with Brock getting breakfast, Trent dug through the kid's stash of clothes in his cage and came up with a pair of sweatpants and an old Van Halen concert t-shirt he knew the kid had stolen from Jason. The medic pulled out the cot they kept in their extra cage along with the thick, soft blanket Lisa had magically produced for Clay a few months back when he was down with the flu on a long flight home. He stole a pillow from Sonny's cage, and had the bed set up and medicine to hopefully ease his stomach upset ready when the kid returned, scooping the frosting and blueberry filling out from the center of his danish and licking it off his finger.

Brock tossed an unopened, room temperature bottle of apple juice that Trent had requested over to the medic. The older man handed the clothes to their kid indicating that he should change for his nap. Trent knew that the lack of good sleep must be catching up with their youngest because he stepped out of his uniform, leaving it where it fell on the floor, pulled on the sweats and t-shirt with zero complaining and stood in front of Trent waiting for direction.

"Hop up here, Shorty," Trent said, tapping the counter. "Let me get a better look at you."

Clay obeyed, pulling himself up on the counter, shifting around trying to find a position that didn't cause his backside to protest. The kid caught Trent's eye and gave his favorite caregiver his best sad puppy face.

Trent sighed, stepping closer so he could cup his hand on the back of the kid's neck, squeezing gently, while Clay leaned forward, resting his head on the older man's strong shoulder, seeking and receiving comfort. "I know, sweetheart," Trent said softly, letting the kid know his favorite uncle understood he was uncomfortable, exhausted, missing his dad, and ready to be put to bed.

Trent cleaned the thermometer he had set out on the counter and stuck it under the kid's tongue after ordering him to open up. "Just slightly elevated," the medic said to Ray, who was leaning against the table and watching the kid get checked out. "99.8."

"All right, Kiddo," Trent said, opening the apple juice and adding a spoonful of mineral oil before re-tightening the cap and shaking up the juice. "Drink up. I want you to finish the whole bottle and use the bathroom before we get you lying down."

"What's that stuff you put in there?" Clay questioned, making a face. "Does it taste bad?"

"No. You won't taste it at all," Trent promised, using his calm, firm voice that worked best on the kid. "It's mineral oil."

"What's it for?" Clay questioned, looking at the bottle of apple juice skeptically.

"Well, nosey," Trent explained patiently, "while you are sleeping, it's going to move through your system and help soften up your poop so it passes easily when you wake up. A nice long nap tucked in with your favorite blanket will help you relax so you'll feel ready to use the bathroom in a few hours. After you get a good rest and use the bathroom, I promise you will feel one hundred percent better and ready to eat a good dinner tonight. Later, you can pick a movie for us to watch on Netflix. Or I'll even sit through the four idiots pranking each other - but only because you are my favorite kid."

"Thanks Trent," Clay said softly, leaning forward and wrapping his arms around the medic's neck, squeezing tightly before releasing him.

"Drink," Trent ordered, walking over to get himself a cup of coffee and a cinnamon bun before Brock ate them all.

Twenty minutes later, Trent had their kid under the blanket, shivering with the cold ice covering his sore butt. "You sure it's not too cold?" the medic asked skeptically.

"No Trent," Clay promised. "It feels so good."

"Five more minutes," Trent said firmly. "Close your eyes for me and try to relax."

Clay completely relaxed, sinking down into the cot. He felt safe and secure, surrounded by his big brothers. His backside wasn't sore for the first time since the night before when Trent had tossed him over his knee, pulled down his shorts, and spanked him hard and fast until he was sobbing out apologies and begging him to please stop.

Clay trusted Trent and took his medicine with no fuss. He drifted off to sleep with the medic in a chair by his bed, gently stroking his head. Before he was completely out, Clay felt the blanket pulled back and the ice removed before the warm cover was returned. Clay's last thought was that he hoped maybe Jason would be on his way back home when he was finally ready to wake up.

Once the guys were sure the kid was dead to the world, they confronted Trent about what had gone down that morning with Mandy. They knew their brother well, and could all see that he was pissed despite keeping it together while Clay was still awake. It was also obvious that their baby brother was not himself. Despite Mandy's aggressive attitude with him in the briefing the day before, they were all surprised by Clay's disrespectful response.

The team was well accustomed to their kid's pain in the ass behaviors at home, in the infirmary, or on base when it was downtime and they were alone as a team. But Clay had never once since joining Bravo been anything but professional in briefings with superiors or in the field operating. Despite being underage and having extensive emotional baggage, their kid was a top notch operator in the field who did what he was told, when he was told to do it, without hesitation or complaint. He lived to please Jason and his brothers and never let them down. So seeing him snap and get in the face of their CIA liaison was a clear sign that all was not well with their rookie.

The older men suspected that there was something going on between Mandy and the kid that either they were missing or Clay was hiding for some reason. They also felt that Jason and Trent must also be in the dark or they would have intervened on their kid's behalf to fix whatever problem was brewing before it got out of hand.

"So Trent," Ray began. "The kid is down. What happened this morning when you hauled him in to apologize to Mandy?"

Trent sighed, leaning back in his chair to look toward the cot to be sure Clay was indeed sleeping and not eavesdropping on the grown-ups. Convinced by his soft, steady breathing that the boy was in dreamland, Trent quietly explained what had happened in Mandy's office.

"Who the fuck does she think she is?" Sonny fumed.

"Shh, Son," Trent whispered impatiently. "Wake him up before he's had enough sleep and I swear on my mother you are taking him home with you tonight to make sure he shits, eats, goes to bed on time and sleeps through the night."

"Sorry," Sonny said, quietly. "But seriously. What the hell is her problem with our kid?"

"I don't know," Trent sighed. "But, up until this morning, like Jason, I was blaming the kid for being overly sensitive and immature. I thought that outburst in the briefing came out of nowhere and was a disrespectful overreaction. And believe me, I wore out his butt good,"

"And now?" Brock questioned. "You think there is more to it?"

Trent nodded. "My gut is telling me we are missing something. I mean, it could be just Clay acting out like a smart-mouth teenager, but he's not himself today. And he was definitely not the Bravo Six we all know, yesterday in that briefing room."

Ray got up to pour himself another cup of coffee. "You don't think it's possible the kid is just out of sorts and feeling sorry for himself because his favorite uncle gave him a lickin'"

"I don't think that's it, Ray. It's not like Brock or Sonny punished him. He's well aware I don't tolerate his nonsense, and it's not the first time he's been over my knee bawling," Trent said, shaking his head. "Today, he acted like he was scared of her."

"How so?" Ray asked.

"He was nervous and fidgety at breakfast when I told him we were going in early to see her and apologize. He hardly swallowed any of his food, and he was quiet and withdrawn on the ride into base. Then, when we parked, he practically walked on top of me and asked me to please stay with him when he apologized because he didn't know what to say to her. The kid said he thought she didn't like him and wouldn't want him to talk to her."

"Well, that's definitely out of character for 'Mister I Can't Shut Up and Will Talk to You Whether You Want to Listen Or Not'," Sonny said.

"Exactly," Trent agreed. "And last night, after I punished him, he was overly concerned and asked about how I thought Jason would react. He actually was thinking that Jason might spank him again for making Mandy mad. He kept saying that Jason really likes her and would be super mad at him for upsetting her."

"I promised him that no way Jason would punish him twice for the same offense. I told the kid that Jason loves him more than he likes his CIA contact, and he would be more worried than mad about his out of proportion reaction to Mandy being snippy with him," Trent added.

"He seriously thought that the boss would spank his ass a second time, after you already wore him out?" Brock said sadly. "You're right, Trent. That's like the high level insecurity Clay had when we first drafted him. Remember the plane ride home after that crazy mission? He seemed afraid that you were going to push him away or hurt him for needing help."

Trent nodded, looking over at their sleeping boy. "And when he realized I wasn't going to hurt him, he was clinging to my chest like something terrible would happen if I let him go. But at the same time trying to tell me it was okay if I left him there alone," he said, quietly. "Yeah, Brock, I remember."

"You actually think Mandy is purposely doing something to him?" Ray asked, skeptically. "She's got a high level job with the CIA and is old enough to be his mother. Why would someone like Ellis want to mess with a teenage kid? It would make more sense for her to get on his good side since he has the potential to be a strong asset to her with his skill set."

"I don't know, Ray," Trent said. "You're right that it makes zero sense for her to alienate Clay when it's clear she wants to have Bravo at her disposal. She's a smart woman, and she must know how much Jason loves him. But something is off with her attitude toward the kid."

"Maybe she was just legitimately pissed off that a sixteen-year-old kid disrespected her," Ray suggested.

"Maybe," Trent conceded. "But we all recognized that Mandy initiated the conflict with Clay at the briefing. He was minding his own business, not even interacting with her in any way when she went after him."

"That's true, Ray," Sonny said. "We all were pissed. Including you who cut her off right before the kid snapped."

"And she's been trying to goad him with the snide comments about us coddling and giving him special treatment. We've all told him to ignore her, but why would she even do something like that to a kid?" Brock asked. "She graduated from Stanford and is supposed to be brilliant. No way she doesn't realize she's playing on his fear of being abandoned and not good enough."

"Right," Trent said. "Both at the briefing after Clay snapped back at her, and then again today when he was trying to apologize, she brought up Jason. Today, she asked him if Jason knew about his bad behavior. And yesterday, after I shut him up in the briefing room, she came over and suggested that he would be in serious trouble with Jason for disrespecting her. And both times the kid was clearly upset. And she could not have cared less based on her demeanor with him."

"I don't know," Ray said. "You know I trust your opinion, Trent. And no one handles the kid better than you, including Jason. It just seems really far-fetched. But, who knows, maybe there's some other dynamic going between Mandy and Clay we don't know about."

"I never liked her," Sonny added.

Ray rolled his eyes. "Yes, Sonny. We all know you have never been a fan of Ms. Ellis. And I think the feeling is mutual. But, you are a big fan of our own personal, blond Tasmanian devil as Metal calls him, so you might be a tad prejudiced in this particular situation."

"She's a witch who ought to be flying around base on a broomstick," Brock said.

"She needs to pull that broomstick out of her ass," Sonny said, high fiving Brock across the table.

"That's productive, Sonny," Ray said dryly.

Trent laughed, shaking his head. "Okay, maybe let's table the Mandy-hate for today. Jason is due back tomorrow night, and knowing he is anxious to get out of the big city and is missing his youngest brat, I wouldn't be surprised if he leaves before dawn and shows up before we head home tomorrow night."

"Trent's right," Ray said. "The boss will be back, and he needs to be brought up to speed. Jason will decide how he wants to handle this. He's known Mandy and worked with her since before Clay was born. And we all know the kid has quickly stolen his heart, so it's entirely possible he has a clearer understanding of what is happening here."

"Do you think it's possible that Mandy wants to suck the life out of Clay on Halloween so she can live forever?" Brock dead-panned.

Trent and Sonny cracked up.

Ray shook his head, wrapping his arm around Brock from behind and laughing. "You know, Sonny, this kid used to be a quiet, responsible example of the Navy's best until he fell under your negative influence."

"Hey, I was just doing what any good, big brother would do. Somebody had to lighten this kid up." He paused dramatically. "You're welcome."

Trent was right when he said the kid was exhausted. He slept like a rock all day, not even stirring when Blackburn stopped by to check on him or Derrick showed up to ask about when Jason was expected to be back from New York. He whined and mumbled to himself a few times in his sleep, but never cried out or woke himself up.

The older men had all become adept at settling their kid when he became restless. It didn't matter if he was asleep or awake. Whoever was closest would sit by him and talk softly if he was unable to sit still on a long flight or at home when he was bored. If the restlessness and whining threatened to disrupt his sleep, one of his brothers would move by his side and gently rub his head or back, leaning in to whisper that everything was okay if necessary, for as long as it took to get him still and calm once again.

When Clay started moving around and talking nonsense in his sleep around one that afternoon, Sonny, who was in his cage cleaning, was the first to notice and go to the kid. Taking a seat in the chair Trent had been using when putting the boy down earlier that morning, Sonny sat patiently with his hard, calloused hand up under Clay's t-shirt, making skin to skin contact and softly rubbing circles on the kid's back until the older SEAL was confident his baby brother was deeply sleeping and relaxed once again.

Around three that afternoon, Trent decided to get the kid up and out of bed. He was tempted to just let him sleep until six when the team would be packing up and heading home for the night, but the medic wanted Clay to be up and alert for at least six to seven hours before he got him into bed for the night. Trent knew if he let the kid sleep too long, Clay would be awake half the night again, and they would be in the same boat again the next day.

Sitting back down on the chair, Trent gently shook their rookie, calling out his name and rubbing his back in an attempt to wake him without startling the kid.

"Hey Squirt," Trent said, pulling gently on his ear. "Come on Clay. It's time to get your lazy butt out of bed. It's past three o'clock already."

Opening his bleary eyes and looking up at Trent, the kid groaned. "What time is it? Can I sleep a little longer, please?" he asked, turning on his side and snuggling down into the blanket.

"Sorry Kiddo," Trent said, pulling back the blanket and giving his bottom a playful swat. "No can do, honey. You've been sleeping like a rock all day. If you don't get up now, you aren't going to be able to sleep tonight." The older man took the kid by his arm and pulled him up so that he was sitting.

The rest of the team watching from the table as Clay rubbed his eyes with his fists looked on with concern that their kid wasn't more alert. Trent was unfazed, knowing the kid just needed to get up and move around, and he would be his old self soon enough. Trent also noted that he was sitting with no apparent discomfort, so it seemed the ice had done the trick and took the final sting from the previous night's spanking out of his bottom.

Clay got himself untangled from his blanket and off the cot, stretching his arms above his head in an attempt to wake himself up and push away the last cobwebs of a long nap. "I need to pee," he announced to no one in particular.

Sonny chuckled from the table. "This isn't Kindergarten half-pint. We don't need to know when you need to use the little boy's room. You can just go take care of business without making an announcement to the room."

"Okay," Clay answered, obviously not yet completely out of his fog.

Trent shook his head fondly. "Go use the bathroom, Clay," he said, pointing the boy toward the cage room door before giving him a slight push to get him moving.

A few minutes later, Clay returned looking more alert and a lot less befuddled. "Any other action yet?" Trent questioned.

Clay shook his head. "No, but my stomach isn't hurting right now."

Trent went to the small refrigerator and grabbed the kid a blue gatorade, removing the cap, the medic added another dose of the mineral oil and handed Clay the bottle indicating he should drink it. Clay sat down at the table easily and looked across at Ray to see what paperwork he was doing.

"Do you want me to help?" Clay asked, feeling guilty for sleeping all day and sticking his big brothers with his share of the paperwork. "Sorry for not doing my part. You should have woken me up earlier. I would have helped."

"Don't worry about it," Ray said, smiling back at the kid, his wild hair going in every direction. "You always do your fair share. You needed a good rest a lot more than we needed you filling out reports."

When Clay didn't look convinced, Sonny added, "Boss 2 is right. You were looking like the walking dead when Trent put you down. You look a lot better, so don't fret over paperwork that probably no one is going to read anyway."

Clay caught Trent's eye.

"What is it, Clay?" the medic questioned, calmly.

"Are you going to tell Jason I didn't do my share of the paperwork?" he asked quietly, looking down. "If he's already mad at me for being rude to Ms. Ellis, I don't want him upset about this too."

"What are you talking about Clay?" Ray asked. "Trent made the call for you to sleep instead of doing paperwork, and I agreed. It was my decision, not yours, and either way, the only thing Jason will think about the paperwork is that he's glad he didn't get stuck here doing it with us."

"What is going on with you, Blondie?" Sonny looked confused. "Since when are you worried about ruffling the boss' feathers? You purposely push his buttons for fun."

Clay didn't respond to either Ray or Sonny. Instead, he looked back to Trent, waiting for his response. "Can we not tell him, Trent? Please?"

Trent sighed, shaking his head. He walked over to where Clay was standing by the table, pulled out a chair, and pointed. "Sit," he ordered calmly.

When the kid complied, his dependable caregiver picked up the half-empty bottle of gatorade and held it out for Clay to take. "Drink."

Trent pulled over another chair and sat down facing the kid. He leaned forward so that Clay was forced to look at him, and reached out to give his knee a gentle squeeze before resting his hand on the boy's leg to help steady their clearly nervous rookie.

"Kid," the medic began, speaking calmly. "Last night, I told you that I am not a mind-reader. I know something is going on up there." The older man lightly tapped Clay's forehead. "And you know I will do anything I can to help you. But you have to tell me what is scaring you. I promise it's not as bad and you have convinced yourself."

"How do you know that, Trent? Maybe it's worse than you think," Clay said, his eyes tearing up.

As much as the rest of the guys wanted to step in to help, they all understood that Trent was the master of wrangling their kid when he was upset. Even Jason deferred to their even-tempered, unshakeable medic to handle sick or emotional Clay. So, the other three members of Bravo looked on silently.

"I know, because I know you Squirt. And I know how you think. I understand, because until you came to us, you never felt safe or had an adult you could depend on to take care of you and protect you," Trent paused for a few seconds before continuing. "Now you have a job that is dangerous and incredibly stressful for experienced grown men to handle. And you are not a grown man, but you are smart and skilled, and you operate like a champ."

Clay reached out and took hold of Trent's sleeve without taking his eyes off the older man. He was silent, and it was clear to the entire team that he was hanging on to every calm, firm word the medic was saying.

"You handle walking the line between being a kid one day and a tier one operator the next, and it is completely understandable and expected that sometimes it all gets overwhelming and scary. And sometimes you decide maybe it's a good idea to let us know you are feeling like things are out of control by doing something obnoxious or impulsive or incredibly reckless to force Jason or me or your big brothers to react and notice and deal with you." Trent took a breath and smiled at his kid. "Something like, oh I don't know, stealing your dad's truck and filling the tank with diesel fuel."

That got the desired reaction. Clay smiled at his favorite uncle. "Desperate times call for desperate measures," he said, trying not to laugh.

"Yeah, well, desperado," Trent said, "maybe now that you've been with us for almost a year, and you are just a few weeks away from being seventeen, you can make an effort to avoid the shit show by coming to one of us when you're feeling scared or worried or angry instead of panicking and overthinking and hiding in your head like I absolutely know that you are doing right now. Because I'm the best. And I know you."

Clay averted his eyes, still holding tight to Trent's sleeve, and the medic knew he hadn't cracked their stubborn boy yet. "I did tell you, Trent," he sighed. "I'm scared Jason is going to be mad about the Mandy thing. I know you said I was already punished and it's over and he's not going to be mad at me, but I'm not sure you're right this time. And since you insist on telling him and not keeping it between us, I just want this one time for us to please not tell the boss I slept through paperwork like a baby and didn't do my job like the rest of the team."

Trent could see Sonny was getting ready to come to the kid's aid, and he looked over at both him and Brock who he knew would be next, slightly shaking his head and holding up the hand the kid wasn't clutching to silence them before they started. Ray looked at his longtime friend and brother genuinely shocked that the medic was right when he said there was much more to this whole Mandy Clay conflict than the kid being pissed off he'd been spanked for his attitude.

"I know you are worried about Jason's reaction," Trent said, calmly and firmly, with the patience of a saint in the opinion of his brothers. "But what I don't know, because you are still afraid to tell me, is why you are so worried about this."

When Clay remained silent, Trent continued trying to chip away at the walls the kid had clearly thrown up around himself. He knew if he posed a question, Clay respected him enough that he would answer, even if he wasn't completely forthcoming with the information the older man wanted.

"Last night, you asked me if we had to tell Jason about your back-talking Mandy. And you asked if I thought he would spank you again when he got home," Trent said. "I told you that we could not keep that from Jason, and we are not going to try. And I told you no way Jason would punish you twice for the same offense. You remember that conversation, Shorty?"

Clay nodded without speaking, until Trent gave him the 'don't test me' face. "Yes, Trent. I remember," he said respectfully.

"Has Jason ever spanked you more than once for the same offense and you have kept it secret from us?" Trent asked, completely confident he already knew the answer.

"What Trent?" Clay said, not expecting that question. "No. Jase has never done that to me."

"Okay, well I didn't think he had. So why do you think he would do that this time?" Trent questioned.

Clay knew he had to say something, and he was slightly annoyed Trent knew him so well that he had easily tricked him into talking about something he did not want to discuss. But at the same time, it kind of made him feel good that he could rely on Trent to love him and that his favorite uncle knew him so well.

But Clay's fears ran so deep. And he was not willing to cave.

Clay repeated what he had already told Trent the night before. "I don't know. I guess because Jase really likes Mandy and maybe me being rude to her will make him mad enough to punish me again. But I guess you're probably right that he wouldn't ever do that." Clay tried to look confident, but he couldn't stop his big mouth from adding. "But, just in case, guys, can we not mention the paperwork?"

Trent responded immediately, before the other three softies had a chance to melt and promise the kid to tell Jason he had helped.

"We are not lying to the boss," Trent said, firmly. "Ray already told you the decision for you to rest today was on him and me. Jason will not be angry with you. And even if he was, we would be in your corner. He would never spank you over shirking paperwork."

Trent rolled his eyes at Sonny, blowing off the daggers the pissed off Texan was shooting his way for not caving and agreeing to lie for the kid.

"Unless there is something you are not telling us, Jason has only spanked you for being blatantly disrespectful, defiantly disobeying him, or doing something reckless that could hurt you or someone else." Trent was silent, letting that sink in.

"Have there been any other butt blisterings I'm unaware of for putting off paperwork, or not cleaning your room, or breaking your phone, or doing any of the thousand annoying, irresponsible, immature things that every normal kid your age does on a regular basis?"

"No," Clay said, shaking his head.

"Or perhaps a paddling dished out for something that we like to call a 'Classic Clay' such as destroying the stove and almost burning down the kitchen by attempting to dry your boots in the oven?" Trent asked directly.

"No," he repeated, quietly.

"Good. It's a relief to hear that the man I have known since I was only a few years older than you does not have a secret, dark side that he's been hiding from the rest of us."

"Jason has never punished me when I didn't deserve it," Clay said, looking Trent straight in the eye.

"So, why all the worry this time?" Trent asked again.

"Maybe I deserve it this time?" The kid looked away, and the older man knew he wasn't going to get anything more out of him right then.

"Nope. You absolutely do not deserve it this time. You did something you know is not acceptable, I punished you, and it's over," Trent said, lightly, tousling the kid's hair and moving to finish organizing his own cage.

"Finish your drink, and then you need to get your own cage straightened out and the cot and blanket put away before we're done for the day," Trent said, mildly, not getting himself drawn into a power struggle with a teenager over information the kid was clearly not yet ready to share.

Brock hadn't said a word since Clay had been coaxed out of bed. He had silently observed the back and forth between Trent and their kid. It was obvious that Clay was prepping for some kind of argument or stubborn stand-off with the medic. The kid was speechless when Trent disengaged, letting him off the hook at least temporarily. Brock thought to himself once again that his big brother was amazingly good at handling moody kids.

Once Clay began to relax knowing that Trent wasn't going to push him any further, he sat quietly, sipping his gatorade as instructed. The rest of the team took their cue from Trent and went about finishing up the paperwork and cleaning duties so that they could all leave on time. The older adults talked amongst themselves, happy to have gotten through another end of the month paperwork marathon, no longer focusing on the kid.

Tossing his empty drink into the recycle box, Clay made his way over to his cage which was next to Brock's towards the back of the room. When Brock looked up from sorting his clothes to smile reassuringly at his little brother entering his own cage, the kid made eye contact, silently indicating with a nod toward the door that he wanted to talk to Brock, away from the other grown-ups. Brock nodded back that he had gotten the message.

About a half hour later when he had finished in his own cage, Brock entered the kid's area to see how he was coming along.

"Looks good, Squirt," he said. "How about I help you get the cot and blanket packed away and we can run over to the cafeteria and get milkshakes since everything is done here? You must be hungry. It's after four, and you haven't eaten anything but the filling from a danish all day."

"Yeah, I'm a little hungry," Clay said. "After, can we take Cerb over to the dog park to play? It's so boring being stuck in here all day."

"Trent?" Brock called, stepping out of the kid's cage and looking toward the three older men who were sitting around the table, talking and laughing about old adventures that had nothing to do with him or the kid. But Brock knew his brother well enough to be sure he had noticed the conversation between him and Clay.

"Yeah?" Trent answered, turning to look over at his younger friend. "You two about finished back there?"

"I'm just helping Clay finish up," Brock answered. "We're hungry, and he's getting bored being trapped in this room for so long. Is it okay if he comes with me to get a milkshake and take Cerb out to play at the dog run until it's time to call it a day?"

"Yes," Sonny answered before Trent had a chance to open his mouth. "Please, in the name of my sanity, get him out of here before he starts climbing the walls and getting on our last nerve." Sonny stood and took a twenty out of his wallet, slapping it down on the table.

"I'm buying," Sonny announced. "Keep the change, Brock-o-lee. You've earned it."

Laughing at Sonny's dramatics, Brock walked over to the table and happily took his big brother's money. He looked to Trent for confirmation that it was okay to take the kid out with him. "Okay Trent?"

"Sure. Sounds like a plan," Trent agreed. "He hasn't seen the sun or breathed fresh air all day. And he must be hungry. How about I'll drive around and pick him up at the dog park at six? That way you can get Cerb settled and head home on time."

Brock nodded. "Come on, Runt," he called back to Clay who he knew was listening while hiding in his cage. "The old men have granted us early parole. Let's get the hell out of Dodge before they change their minds."

As expected, Clay popped out of his cage looking relieved to be leaving the cage room without any further discussion about his earlier upset. He slowly approached the table, still bracing just in case this was some kind of trap.

Clearly recognizing his defensive posture and trepidation, the senior team members smiled at their adopted baby as he came closer, not attempting to force conversation. Coming up behind the chair where his current protector and babysitter was sitting, Clay wrapped his arms around his favorite uncle's neck from behind and quickly kissed the top of the older man's head.

"Thanks Trent. Love you," he said quickly. Giving the medic another squeeze to reassure himself that Trent really did love him, and wasn't angry at his refusal to come clean earlier.

Clearly recognizing his boy's anxiety, Trent turned in his seat to make eye contact and let him know there was nothing to fear. "I love you too, honey. Don't wear Brock out. He's not as young as he used to be."

Brock scoffed, "Still a decade and a half younger than you old coots."

"Get the fuck out of here before I tan both your hides for disrespecting your elders," Sonny threatened.

"Let's go Squirt," Brock laughed. "The grumpy old men are getting surly."

Following his big brother toward the door, Clay turned to look back at Trent before leaving. "You're gonna come get me before you leave, right? Don't forget me."

"Absolutely," Trent responded firmly. "I'm not going anywhere without you. And since it's your last night at my place, I'll grill you up some hot dogs when we get home."

"And mac n' cheese?" Clay asked hopefully.

"Sure, but you are definitely eating something green with it," Trent said.

"Okay. But not broccoli," the kid said, making a face at the thought of broccoli.

"You can have salad," Trent assured, shaking his head.

"Thanks Trent," Clay said, smiling as he followed Brock out. "Love you guys."

"Son of a bitch," Sonny grouched after the door closed behind their youngest brothers.

"What is your problem now?" Ray laughed.

"I swore I wouldn't let it happen, but I think that little fucker may have weasled his way into my heart," Sonny said, folding his arms and shaking his head.

"You think he may own you?" Trent said. "You are that kid's bitch."

"Seriously, Sonny," Ray added. "You have lost all your mean ol' bastard credibility. You almost cried when the boss spanked his ass in front of you for mouthing off and cursing at your barbeque last month.

"I know! It's ridiculous," Sonny fumed. "I can't believe I let him get to me. And why does he have to announce that he loves us every time he leaves the room? The little shit is killing me."

Trent and Ray were cracking up at their brother's ranting.

"And you, Trent," Sonny accused. "Why didn't you make him tell us what the hell is the story with that witch Ellis and why he's afraid that Jason would ever choose her over him?"

"Yeah Sonny," Trent said sarcastically. "Maybe I should have hauled him over my knee and paddled his ass until he told us everything. Then you and the kid could have spent the afternoon crying together."

"I'm not saying beat it out of him. But you know how to manipulate him when you want him to do something," Sonny argued.

"I tried to get him to talk, but I could see the kid wasn't having it. He will come clean sooner than later. He wants us to know, but for some reason I can't figure out, he's scared. I know Clay. Bullying and cornering him will trigger the exact out of control, disrespectful response that we saw in the briefing with Ellis yesterday." Trent explained, calmly.

"You really think he'll spill his guts on his own?" Ray questioned.

"Yes. I backed off because he wasn't ready to share. He'll get there," Trent promised. "I have seen the kid take a power struggle with Jason to the mat when they both dig in their heels. And that never ends well."

"He's a kid, yes. But he still has a right to say no when he's uncomfortable doing or sharing something. Unless the situation is putting him into some kind of danger, which this is not as far as I can see, we need to take a breath. Remember we are adults, and we are not going to let ourselves get drawn into a showdown with a teenager in panic mode," Trent said. "It's frustrating, I know. But it is totally counter productive to push him."

"Maybe you're right," Sonny admitted. "He did calm down and do everything you asked once you backed off the questioning and let him just sit and drink his blue sugar water."

"He did," Trent nodded. "And if I know our boy, right now he is spilling to Brock all kinds of details he's been hiding from us for probably at least a few weeks, maybe more judging by the level of anxiety he's worked up. He's on the verge of opening the floodgates. We just need to be patient."

Ray shook his head in amazement. "You are the puppetmaster when it comes to this kid. I'm going to hire you to come out of retirement and deal with my kids when they are over emotional teenagers."

Trent laughed. "You were smart enough to find a woman willing to marry you who knows what she's doing. Believe me, Naima will have your kids on track. I've seen her in action, and she has your family running like a well-oiled machine."

"He's right about that Ray-Ban," Sonny added. "That woman is a queen. You'd be wise to keep your mouth shut and defer to the lady of the house in all matters relating to baby-raisin'"

"Oh believe me, Son, I figured that out fifteen years ago when I put a ring on Naima before anyone smarter and better looking beat me to it," Ray said.

Once Bravo's youngest were out of the building and walking across base to the cafeteria, Clay finally worked up his nerve to ask his brother for help. "So Brock, I guess you're wondering why I wanted to talk to you alone," Clay said, not making eye contact.

"Well Squirt, I have to admit, I am a little curious," Brock said, gently. "Is this about Ms. Ellis?"

"Not exactly," Clay said. "Well, it kind of is in a way. It's hard to explain. It's all such a mess, Brock. I don't know what to do."

Brock could see the kid was frustrated and getting worked up. "Woah," he said, reaching out to throw his arm around his baby brother's neck. "Let's take it down a few notches there. How about we get those milkshakes I promised and drink them in the cafeteria where we can sit down and figure whatever this is out together. Calmly."

"Okay, Brock," Clay whispered. "Thanks for helping me."

"Hey Buddy," Brock said, gently. "I am always here to help you, anytime you need me. And if I don't know how to fix something, I one hundred percent guarantee that we can go to either Trent or Jason twenty-four seven. I have no doubt they would both drop whatever they might be doing to help us." He opened the door to the building that housed the cafeteria and held it so Clay could enter ahead of him.

Once they were sitting at a table in a quiet area of the cafeteria working on their milkshakes, Clay again tried to explain what was happening.

"Brock, I know both Jason and Trent say they are always there to help me, but I'm afraid this time, they might not believe me," the kid said, softly, looking up at Brock with tears in his eyes.

Brock reached out and put his hand on the kid's arm to offer support and help ground him. "Why do you think they wouldn't believe you?"

"Because it will sound crazy to them. They'll say I'm imagining or being dramatic or not understanding," Clay started, his voice shaking. "And I'm afraid if I talk to you about it, that you will think I'm being crazy too,"

"Well, first of all, I would never think you are crazy," Brock promised. "If you told me something that you know is true, then I would always believe you. You are my little brother forever, and I will always have your back."

"You really promise you will believe me. Even if it seems crazy?" Clay asked.

Brock paused before answering. He knew that like all kids, Clay sometimes perceived things to be different than they actually were. When the team was spun up to Liberia and Jason left him home, the kid had a complete emotional meltdown after he convinced himself that Jason didn't want to be his dad anymore and was planning to get rid of him.

The dog-handler tried to think what Trent would say in this situation, but unlike his older brother, he was not a master at dealing with the kid in panic mode. Brock wanted to tell the kid he would believe him, but he knew if this was something Clay misunderstood or blew out of proportion, he needed to be honest with him.

"Okay Clay, it's really hard for me to promise something when I have no clue what we are talking about here," Brock said calmly, trying to channel Trent. "But I promise, I will listen to everything you say. And if you believe it to be true, I will take your word for it. If it doesn't make sense to me, or if I have different information than you, I will be honest and tell you what I know so that we can figure it out together."

"Brock," Clay whispered, shifting gears. "If I asked you to help me with something and keep it private between us, would you do that?"

Shit, Brock thought to himself. He knew both Jason and Trent would be seriously pissed off at him if he let the kid convince him to do something questionable and then kept it from them.

"Are you asking me to lie to Jason or Trent?" he questioned, deciding to put all the cards on the table. "Because Clay, if we go behind their backs and do something they wouldn't approve of, it's going to end badly for us both."

"So you won't keep this between us?" Clay said, looking at him with sad puppy eyes.

Brock felt completely out of his comfort zone. He couldn't even begin to guess what this 'crazy' story might be, and he had no idea what secret mission the kid was trying to talk him into completing with him.

"Clay, I'm going to be straight with you. I have zero idea where this is going or what you are asking me to do," Brock said honestly. "I can't promise to lie to our boss and your dad without knowing the whole story."

Suddenly remembering how Trent handled the kid back in the cage room, Brock had an idea. "So how about I ask you some questions, and you answer as best and honestly as you can. Then we can talk about secret missions and what we can and cannot keep private?"

Clay seemed to consider that while slurping his shake. "Okay," he nodded. "We can try."

"What do you want me to do that needs to be kept secret from Jason and Trent?" Brock asked.

"I want you to help me see my counselor Dr. Jeff tomorrow morning, before Jason gets home. And I don't want you to tell Trent," Clay said honestly.

Brock smiled at the kid. "Okay…" he hesitated. "I did not see that coming. I was expecting something outrageously reckless, perhaps illegal."

Clay smiled back, amused. "Sorry to disappoint you," he shrugged.

"I'm relieved, not disappointed," Brock laughed. "I had visions of me having a front row seat to you getting your bare ass blistered when your adventure blew up in our faces. Like poor Sonny had to witness at his barbeque. According to him, he still suffers from PTSD."

"Poor Sonny?" Clay croaked, incredulously. "I'm the one who got my pants taken down like a little kid and my butt spanked raw in front of a live audience. I'm the one who should have PTSD, not Sonny."

"Sorry kiddo, you deserved what you got," Brock said seriously. "If I had talked to any adult like you did to Sonny, when I was a kid, my dad would have taken off his belt and whupped my sorry ass while I cried like a baby. And he wouldn't care who was watching."

"Really?" Clay asked.

"Yeah. Really," Brock said. "And I know you won't believe this, because I never believed it when I was your age, but my dad hated punishing me as much as I hated being punished. Just like it's awful for Jason or Trent when they need to punish you. And my older brothers felt almost as bad as me when I got a spanking because I am their baby brother, just like you are Sonny's. I really thought he was going to cry seeing you hurting and upset. Even though he knew you needed to learn a hard lesson, he was still wrecked."

"I know Jason and Trent don't like to spank me. And I'm sure your dad didn't like to spank you either," Clay said. "But no way giving a spanking is as bad as getting one."

Brock smiled, ruffling the kid's hair. "Okay, Squirt. We can agree to disagree," Brock said. "But in about ten years or so, when you are still young and spry, and I'm an old grumpy geezer, I expect you to come tell me that I was right about this one. And you will owe poor old Jason a giant apology for putting him through the wringer."

"So Brock. Now that you know I'm not asking you to knock over a convenience store with me," Clay said. "Will you help me get to Dr. Jeff? I'm not sure how to get there without telling Trent."

"I will help you," Brock said, still relieved this wasn't something crazy. "But Clay, why don't you just tell Trent you want to see your doctor? You know he would have no problem taking you. Why all the sneaking around?"

"I promise I will tell Trent and Jase after I see Dr. Jeff," he said. "It's just I don't want anyone to know I'm going."

"Why?" Brock repeated.

Clay sighed. "Please Brock. Can't you just take me without all the questions?"

"Uh, no," Brock said, simply. "I'll do it and not tell Trent. But if I'm going to be lying and sneaking around, and this is going to require some lying, I have a right to know why we are being dishonest."

Clay looked down, taking a deep breath before he started speaking. "I don't want Trent or Jason or the other guys to know because I need to do this on my own. When Jason gets home, I want him to know I'm not a baby who needs to be coddled all the time. I can take care of myself and figure out how to solve problems on my own."

"Do you think Jason coddles you?" Brock asked.

"Do you?" Clay countered.

"No. I don't think that," Brock said, honestly. "I think Jason understands that you are still a kid. He's just trying to take care of you the same way he took care of his older kids when they were at home. I wouldn't call that 'coddling'. I would say he is loving you, protecting you, taking care of you, but that's his job now."

"And also Clay," Brock continued, "Jason allowed you to be a tier-one operator on Bravo even after he knew you were only sixteen. And in the field, he trusts your skills and your ability to do your job the same as he trusts me or Trent or the rest of the team. I don't know how anyone could possibly label that 'coddling'"

"I know he doesn't coddle me in the field, but at home…" Clay started before Brock cut him off.

"At home, the boss treats you like a kid, because you are a kid," Brock said, firmly. "I know that before you came to us, you never experienced parents who loved and took care of you. I know that you were repeatedly abused and abandoned to survive alone, and honey, that breaks my heart." He paused to keep control of his emotions.

"But Clay - you have the right to be loved and hugged every day. It is normal for sixteen-year-old kids to have parents who cook for them, buy their clothes, take them to a doctor when they are sick, help them with their problems and hold them or rub their back when they are having a bad day or wake up scared from a nightmare. That is not coddling. It is what responsible adults do for their children."

"I never really saw that anywhere around me until you guys took me on Bravo," Clay admitted softly.

"I know you didn't, and I'm sure it's hard for you to understand even now, but all of that is normal. And even though you won't always like it, you have the right to grow up in a home with clear rules, expectations and consequences, where you are taught right from wrong. And none of that is coddling," Brock finished.

"Ms. Ellis says that Jason and the team, and even Blackburn coddle me," Clay whispered, quietly as if she might jump out from under a table and startle him.

Brock knew that 'coddling' was a word that Mandy used to provoke and belittle the kid. And he knew this whole situation was mixed up with her, but he still had no clear idea what was going on between their rookie and the CIA liaison.

"I know she has said that, Clay. And I don't really know her well, but I think she's trying to bother Jason because he won't let her use you whenever she wants to like you're a toy or a new gadget," Brock said. "That's why the boss has been saying to ignore her. But sometimes he forgets that you are a kid and it's hard for you to ignore grown adults who can sometimes act like bratty kids."

"Is that why you want to go to the doctor on your own? To show Jason that you don't need to be coddled?" Brock asked.

Clay nodded. "I want him and everyone to know that I am not a baby. I can do things on my own."

"Because she also calls you a baby and suggests you aren't doing your job?" Brock asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes. Because I want Jason to keep me," Clay said, his voice shaking. "Brock, I've been dumped so many times. Some I never even told Jason or Trent. I can't get dumped again. Before, it was always hard, but I didn't even really know what family felt like. Sometimes I was with people who were okay, but mostly it was bad. I was left alone and I was always scared. I got whipped and burned by a man in Liberia all the time for being bad, but mostly I didn't even know what I did wrong. And then in foster care, I got whipped with a switch sometimes for things I did, but lots of times, it was just because the dad was mad about work or money or sometimes he was just mad for no reason. And they locked me up alone in the garage - it was so scary at night."

Brock already heard this horror story from Jason and Trent after the kid had broken down and told them everything. But this was so much worse, hearing it in his baby brother's own voice, trying so hard not to cry and have people like Ellis use it against him. Brock felt like crying himself, but he was aware they were in the cafeteria filled with people. He knew he needed to get Clay out of here before the kid lost it.

"Brock?" he said, softly. "I won't be able to stand it if Jason sends me away. I'd rather die."

"Clay, I want you to listen to me carefully," Brock said, calmly. "Jason will never send you away. He loves you. I love you. We all love you. You are not alone anymore."

"You promise, Brock?" Clay whispered.

"I absolutely promise. Do you believe me?" Brock said.

"I really want to. But I'm afraid," he said.

"Afraid of who?" Brock questioned, softly stroking his arm.

Clay hesitated.

"You can tell me, honey. Who is scaring you?" Brock pushed gently, already knowing the answer but wanting it confirmed by the kid.

Clay still didn't answer. He just looked back and forth between Brock and the crowded cafeteria and tried so hard to hold it together. Brock could see he was close to a meltdown, and he knew it couldn't happen in public.

"Okay, Clay," Brock said, gently. "Let's get out of here, and go get Cerb from the kennel. That sound good to you?"

Clay nodded, relieved. "Yeah. I want to go get Cerb. We're going to the park right?"

"Sure are," Brock said brightly. "The old men let us out early, so we are out of here."

"Come on, Squirt," Brock stood, motioning the kid to follow him out. "Let's get going. Trent's picking you up in an hour or so."

Once they were out of the crowded, noisy cafeteria, Clay was able to get himself together. It was a warm day, perfect for taking Cerb to the park. The dog handler and the rookie walked quietly over to the kennels where Brock signed Cerb out for the weekend. It was Thursday, and Brock planned to keep Cerb with him and Katie until at least the following Monday.

Cerb was excited to see both Brock and Clay, and being with the dog immediately brought a smile to the kid's face. Once they arrived at the dog park on the other side of the base, they sat on a bench and Brock released Cerb to run and play with the other Navy canines in the fenced off park.

"Clay, if you still want to see Dr. Jeff tomorrow without tipping off Trent, we need to make a plan," Brock said. "Trent is picking you up in a half-hour."

"I already emailed the office and asked if I could get an emergency appointment. Jason did that once after I first started seeing him, after I was in the hospital for my stomach thing," Clay explained. "Ash had shown up at the apartment when Jase wasn't home. He yelled at me for telling the truth about my age and said it was going to cause a big mess. Derrick heard him screaming, so he came over and made him leave."

"I remember," Brock said. "The whole team was pissed off. Sonny wanted to make him disappear, but Jason said getting into conflict with Ash would make things harder for you."

Clay nodded. "I don't know if Jase told you guys, Trent knows, but I had some really bad nightmares. I made Trent and Jase promise not to tell the team, but I wet the bed in my sleep like I did back in Africa. I kind of freaked out because I was afraid it would happen on a mission and everyone would know. That's when Jase got me the emergency appointment. I was with him when he made the appointment, so I know how to do it. I need to be at his office tomorrow at 7:30 in the morning. The emergency appointments are before regular office hours."

"Okay," Brock said. "But before we talk about tomorrow morning, there is something else we need to discuss."

Clay looked down embarrassed. "I know what you want to talk about, Brock. But I don't want to."

Brock put his arm around the kid and pulled him in close to his side, giving him a quick kiss on the side of his head. "You don't need to talk. Just listen, and I will make it short."

Clay melted into his big brother's side, nodding. "I guess so."

"We did hear about the nightmares. It would have been impossible to hide with the dark circles under your eyes and the way you were practically falling asleep standing up at work," Brock said, gently.

Clay nodded. "I could tell you knew because Sonny was being super nice."

Brock smiled, "You are like Krypotnite to his Grumpyman. He loves you and would do anything for you, just like the rest of us." He paused before continuing.

"Clay, neither Jason nor Trent said anything about the nighttime accidents. They would never do that," Brock promised. "But honey, I wish you would have felt safe to tell me. And I guarantee Sonny and Ray would feel the same."

"It's embarrassing. And just another reason for Ash and Mandy to call me a baby," Clay whispered, his eyes tearing up again.

"I totally get that you felt embarrassed, and I'm sure I would too," Brock admitted. "But Squirt, you can tell your brothers the embarrassing things and trust that we will be there to help you. And I hope you know we would absolutely never tease or think that having an accident in your sleep when you are scared makes you a baby or has anything to do with your ability to do your job."

When Clay nodded, but remained silently attached to his side, Brock continued. "You can tell me absolutely anything, anytime. Do you understand that Shorty?"

"I do, Brock. I promise. That's why I came to you to help me today," Clay said, sounding tired again.

"I'm glad you came to me," he said, giving the kid another squeeze. "So how about when Trent gets here, you ask him if it's okay for me to pick you up for an early run with Cerb at 6:45. I'll tell him that I will take you out for breakfast after, and we will be on base by 9:30."

"Thanks Brock. I think he'll be good with that. Trent knows I like to run with you and Cerb," Clay said quietly.

"Are you okay?" Brock questioned, hoping maybe the Kid was ready to talk. "Do you think you can tell me who is scaring you? Just us here. And no one is getting through me to hurt you, not ever."

"It's Ms. Ellis, Brock," the kid whispered, his breath hitching. "I can't tell you about it now. I need to talk to Dr. Jeff first. He helps me be calm."

"Okay Clay," Brock said. He stayed cool but was silently seething hearing it confirmed that Ellis, who he never really cared for anyway, had the nerve to think she was going to upset their kid. "But I want you to promise me that after you talk with Dr. Jeff, you will come to someone on the team and share what is going on. If you are scared of Jason's reaction, you know that Trent is always there for you and will handle interference with anyone until you are ready to talk."

"I promise," Clay said, closing his eyes and resting against his brother.

"You ready for another nap already, Shorty?" Trent said, coming up quietly behind where his little brothers were relaxing on a bench watching the dogs play.

Brock looked up, surprised he hadn't heard him approach. "That's some impressive stealth mode," he said. "I didn't hear a thing."

"I guess maybe you both better work on your situational awareness. I told you I'd be here at six," he teased.

Clay hadn't opened his eyes or indicated that he was aware of Trent's arrival.

"Hey Sleeping Beauty," Brock said, jostling the kid gently. "You fall asleep on me?"

Clay sat up, removing himself from Brock's side slowly. "Hey Trent," he said, yawning. "You didn't forget me." He stood up from the bench and walked into the older man's arms for a warm embrace.

"Have I ever forgotten you, sweetheart?" Trent asked, rubbing his back. He gave Brock a concerned look over the kid's head, nodding to his younger teammate when Brock silently gestured that they would talk later. "Come on Clay. Look alive so we can get home and get some dinner in your belly. You need more than a chocolate milkshake to fill you up so you can sleep soundly tonight."

"Okay, Trent," Clay said. Remembering his plan for the morning, the kid continued. "Tomorrow morning is it okay if I go for a run with Brock and Cerb before work? Brock said he'll take me out for breakfast too. Can I go, please?"

Trent looked over at his other kid brother suspiciously. "You two want to get up early and run before work? You do remember the boss will be back tomorrow afternoon and he left exercises for us to run before he arrives."

"Cerb needs a run in the morning," Brock shrugged. "It goes faster with company, and the kid offered to run with us."

Trent absolutely knew something was up, but he decided to let it go. He'd either get Brock on the phone or over at his house after the kid was down for the night to make him give up what he knew about Clay's current emotional state.

"I like to run," Clay said. "Please can I go, Trent? I'll go to bed early, no whining, I promise."

"And you'll eat your salad? No fussing?" the medic questioned. "And don't think I forgot that you still need to produce some action in the bathroom."

"I will, Trent. When we get home, I promise I'll go sit in the bathroom and read my book until I go," Clay assured him.

"Okay then," Trent said. "If you two want to spend your early morning running around town, far be it from me to interfere. Come on, Kiddo, let's get this show on the road."

"I'll pick you up at 6:45 tomorrow, Clay," Brock said. "Enjoy your hot dogs, Squirt."

"I will," Clay said, waving as he followed Trent toward the truck. "Love you, Brock."

"Love you too, Runt," he smiled, shaking his head at his sweet kid brother.

Trent had decided on his short ride from the main base to the dog park not to question Clay about his wild new fears that Jason would be angry with him. Seeing the kid still over tired and sleeping against Brock, and knowing that he still hadn't moved his bowels after two doses of mineral oil and a bottle of apple juice which almost always got things moving relatively quickly for the kid, the medic in him was was almost certain his anxiety surrounding Jason returning to hear that Trent had spanked him for being disrespectful to the CIA liaison after he'd promised to be on his best behavior while Jason was in New York was the root of his current constipation and bellyache.

Trent also knew that his youngest brothers were up to something with this whole running at the crack of dawn, but he felt it was actually a good thing for him. Trent wanted to call and talk to Jason privately to give him a heads up and get on the same page before his boss arrived back and started yelling at Clay for the Mandy confrontation. He was absolutely sure Jason wouldn't punish the kid again, but yelling was a likely possibility, and he wanted to explain everything and hopefully avoid the kid being pushed into a confrontation with Jason that ended with either a tantrum, an emotional meltdown or both.

Trent knew his kid. He knew he was teetering on the edge, but still couldn't get the kid to open up to him, which frustrated Bravo's medic because Clay always looked for him first when he needed help or comfort. Trent was a smart guy, and it was driving him crazy that he couldn't figure out what was going on between the kid and Ellis. He had considered the possibility that somehow Ash was involved after he had ambushed and upset the kid the month before when Jason wasn't at home. Luckily, Derrick just happened to be coming home from work and heard the commotion from the hallway. He had sent Ash packing, calmed the kid down and sat with him watching TV on the couch until Jason came home to make it all better.

Trent hadn't suggested to the other guys that Ash could have anything to do with it, mostly because he'd heard the son of a bitch was out of town. Trent honestly thought it was extremely unlikely that someone as career obsessed as Ellis would get involved with Ash who was a pariah to both Navy brass and CIA. Also, she was smart enough to know that teaming up with Ash for any reason would lead to an unfixable rift with Jason.

Lost in his own thoughts, Trent hadn't noticed Clay had fallen back asleep against the window until he pulled into the driveway. Concerned, he reached across the seat and pushed the kid's bangs back to check for fever. He didn't feel overly warm, so Trent shook him gently to get him moving.

"Hey, Rip Van Winkle," he teased, when Clay looked up at him, rubbing his bleary eyes. "You feeling okay over there?"

Clay yawned before looking around, obviously confused. "Where are we?" he asked.

"In my driveway," Trent smiled, reaching over to ruffle his hair. "Come on, Kiddo. Let's get you inside and fed."

Walking around to the passenger side of the truck, Trent opened the door and motioned the kid out. Clay obeyed on auto-pilot, following Trent into the house like a worn out Kindergartener after his first full day of school. Inside the house, Clay made a beeline for the couch, but Trent stopped him from passing out again.

"Nope," he said, pulling the kid up and swatting his ass to get him moving toward the kitchen.

"Ow, Trent," Clay whined, rubbing his backside. "What was that for?"

"To wake you up," Trent chuckled. "And stop giving me the wounded doe eyes. I barely even touched you."

The kid shot him daggers before dropping down in a kitchen chair, but kept his mouth shut.

"You feeling like you might be ready to use the bathroom?" Trent questioned, gently.

The kid shook his head. "Doesn't feel like anything is happening yet, Trent."

"How's the belly?" he asked in medic mode.

"Kind of crampy, but not too bad," the kid said, looking up at his go-to uncle pitifully. "Please don't take me to the infirmary. I don't want to go."

Pulling up a chair next to his worn out, uncomfortable kid, Trent sat down and put his hand on the boy's back, rubbing slow circles to help settle him down. "I can't make any promises, honey. Believe me, I know it's the last place you want to go, and I don't want to have to take you, but you know I'm going to do what's best for you even if it's not what we want to do."

"I don't feel good, Trent. Please can I just go to bed?" he begged.

"I'm going to get you there as soon as possible, but we need to get you feeling better, fed and cleaned up before we think about bedtime," Trent said in the 'I mean business' voice.

"I'm not hungry," Clay said, leaning forward to rest his head on the table.

"And that's concerning me, Squirt, because you haven't had anything solid since yesterday at lunch time," Trent said. "You should most definitely be hungry, so we need to get your belly sorted asap."

"Fortunately for you, I am the best at getting you sorted. I promise to do everything in my power to avoid a visit to the infirmary, but I am going to need some cooperation on your end. Capice?" he asked, patting the kid's back.

"Okay, Trent," Clay said softly, "I'll try."

"I know you will. You're a good boy, buddy," Trent said, ruffling his hair.

"How about you try soaking in a warm bath and see if that helps you relax? It's been a long, stressful few days, and we both know the doctor said anxiety is not your friend when it comes to keeping your system regular." Trent suggested.

Clay nodded, "Okay."

"Go get yourself some sleep pants and a t-shirt, and I'm going to run you a bath," Trent stood, and indicated the kid should do the same.

A few minutes later, Clay was sitting on the side of the tub, stripped down to his boxer briefs, waiting for it to fill and watching Trent adjust the taps to a comfortable temperature.

"Okay, Kiddo," he said, calmly. "Hop in, lay back and try to just breathe slowly and relax. If it's not warm enough, add some more hot water. I'm going to mix you up something that I think might help do the trick to get things moving."

"Thanks, Trent. I know it would be easier for you to just take me to the infirmary and let them handle it," Clay said, looking up at his best comforter. "I know I'm a pain in your butt a lot of days, and you probably want to strangle me, but no one ever took care of me until you and I promise I appreciate it and love you so much."

"Hey, sweetheart," Trent said, crouching down in front of the kid to make eye contact. "It would not be easier for me to take you to the infirmary, because I know it would be really hard for you, which means it would be equally hard for me to make you go. So we are going to work together to avoid that if possible." He paused to let that sink in before continuing.

"It makes me want to cry that no one took care of you before you came to us, but that is over now. I will always be willing to take care of you when you need me, and I know you appreciate it, but baby, I want you to also understand that you deserve to be taken care of. All kids should have adults in their lives who take care of them." Trent paused, smiling. "And yes, you have mastered the art of being an occasional pain in the ass, but that is your job. All kids are a pain in the ass sometimes. And they still deserve to be taken care of and loved. And as much as you love me, Shorty, I promise, I love you more. And I one hundred percent guarantee that Jason feels exactly the same."

"You think?" Clay asked

"I know." Trent said, firmly. "And now, I am going to cook up something special. I want you to get in this tub and relax."

Clay nodded, stepping out of his shorts and into the tub. Sinking down into the hot water, he leaned back sighing. "Feels good," he said, closing his eyes.

"I'm glad you approve, but Clay," Trent said, tapping his head to get his attention. "Don't go to sleep there. I'm going to come check on you in a few minutes, and I know you're tired, but you can sleep after you eat something."

"Okay," Clay mumbled.

"I mean it Clay," Trent said sternly. "Do I need to get Sonny over here to supervise your bath?"

"Please no," the kid said.

"Then no snoozing," Trent said, walking out of the bathroom and back toward the kitchen.

Trent was running out of ideas for getting Clay's system to cooperate that would not be traumatic for the kid. The medic wasn't going to let this go another night, so if he couldn't get things moving naturally, Trent knew he was going to need to haul the kid to the infirmary where they would force a movement with either a suppository or enema, or the medic would have to take care of it at home. Neither option was appealing to him, and he knew Clay would be absolutely miserable either way. So he was praying his mom's special green bean salad would do the trick.

When Trent was a kid and he or his siblings had bellyaches with a side of backed up pipes, his mom would fix them up by feeding them fresh green beans, lightly cooked so they were still firm, tossed in olive oil with raw onions and grape tomatoes. She would add a spoonful of sugar and season the whole mixture with salt and pepper. As kids, they were not fans, but it never failed to do the trick. He had called his mother back home earlier in the day to ask how she made the salad. She said it wouldn't hurt to toss in a teaspoon of the mineral oil as well since this was a last ditch effort to avoid a trip to the doctor. .

Trent had already cooked the beans and put them in the refrigerator to cool. While the kid was soaking and hopefully thinking happy thoughts, he tossed everything together and added the olive and mineral oil. The medic thought to himself that with the amount of oil already in the kid's system, he couldn't believe he was still backed up. This would have to do the trick.

Once he had the salad and another bottle of warm apple juice ready for the kid, he went back to the bathroom to haul him out of the tub. He was still awake as promised, but just barely. "Come on lazy," Trent said, holding up a towel and motioning for the kid to exit his tub.

"But it's warm in here, Trent. Five more minutes," he whined, giving him the puppy eyes.

"Nope. Sorry Runt," Trent held firm. "Out now. I made Mama Sawyer's special guaranteed to empty out your system green bean salad."

Clay groaned, standing up and letting Trent wrap the towel around him and pat him dry. "That sounds delightful," he said, making a face. "You know I don't like green beans, Trent."

"Well, you're going to eat these like them or not. Unless you'd rather we end the suspense right now and I can give you a dose of glycerine," Trent offered calmly as the kid got in his sleep pants and t-shirt.

Clay looked at him suspiciously. "Where does glycerine go?" he asked hesitantly.

"Backdoor," Trent said, matter of factly. "And that's our next step if you give me a hard time."

"I'll eat the beans," Clay promised.

"Yeah, I thought you might decide to try the green beans after all," Trent said, putting his arm around his kid and leading him to the kitchen.

A few hours later, Clay was sleeping soundly for the first time in days, tucked in warm and safe in Trent's spare room. Trent had already called the local florist back home and ordered a huge bouquet of flowers to be delivered to Mama Sawyer first thing in the morning.

Well aware that Trent did not bluff, Clay had eaten his slippery green beans like a champ. When his current babysitter had declared he'd had enough, the kid curled up against him wrapped in one of the medic's worn out old hoodie's that Clay liked to wear when he stayed the night at Trent's place.

Clay's belly was cramping and he couldn't get comfortable, but as always, Trent knew what to do. He heated a bag of uncooked rice in the microwave and laid it across the kid's belly under the hoodie. Clay hid under his arm holding the bag in place until it lost its heat.

Trent found one of the older Batman movies on Netflix and put it on while his exhausted boy detached from his favorite uncle's side and lay down on the couch resting his head in the older man's lap. Unable to get comfortable on his back, the kid squirmed around looking ready to cry until Trent calmly turned him on his side so he could see the TV and keep his head in Trent's lap. Pulling the soft blanket from the back of the couch, Bravo's medic gently covered the kid before firmly forcing him to uncurl his legs that were pulled up to his stomach. Once the kid was in a more relaxed position in his lap, Trent slid his warm hand up under the hoodie and t-shirt and rubbed gentle circles on the boy's belly.

Clay lay cuddled up in his comforter's lap with a firm hold on his pant leg, silently watching the movie through tired eyes. "You give the best tummy rubs ever," Clay mumbled as if he was going on seven instead of seventeen. "I'm gonna close my eyes, but I'm just resting. I'm not sleeping, so don't stop rubbing, okay Trent?"

Trent smiled. "Got it, Squirt. Just resting your eyes, not really sleeping. And I can add 'gives the best tummy rubs ever' to my resume."

"I'll definitely give you a recommendation. Maybe you can give head and tummy rubs as a side hustle when you retire," the kid slurred softly. "And your post-spanking bottom rubs are nothing to sneeze at either."

"Kid," Trent laughed out loud. "They damn well broke the mold when they made you."

After about thirty minutes, the green beans and oil worked their magic and the kid jumped up to run to Trent's bathroom. Another thirty minutes and a warm shower to 'wash off the feeling of nasty' according to Clay, the kid was feeling one hundred percent better and enjoying a hot dog and chips, just as Trent had promised earlier that day. The kid was out like a light by the end of the movie. Trent got him up from the couch, made a pit stop at the bathroom, and guided the kid to the spare room and his warm, comfortable bed.

By the time Trent had cleaned the kitchen and bathroom and straightened up the living room, it felt like midnight, but was actually only 9:00. The medic passed up an early bedtime and decided to text Brock to find out what the hell he and the kid had up their sleeve for tomorrow morning, because Trent did not believe for a second that it was running.

Brock was expecting the text he received from his older brother around nine that night. When Trent asked if he was busy, Brock replied that he and Cerb were lying around being lazy as Katie was off at her book club and gossip fest with her work friends.

When Trent invited Brock and Cerb over to watch some baseball action, the younger SEAL knew he was about to get grilled for info about the kid's state of mind earlier that day. Brock volunteered to bring Buffalo wings courtesy of Sonny since he and Clay got their milkshakes free at the cafeteria, and he still had the twenty bucks the grumpy Texan had given him to get the antsy kid out of his hair. Knowing his longtime teammate wasn't a fan of hot dogs, Brock figured Trent would appreciate the late night snack.

When he arrived, Brock let Cerb go crawl in bed with his favorite kid. Both men knew that Clay slept most soundly when he wasn't alone. He had become comfortable sleeping in his room at Jason's apartment and also in Trent's spare room, but the kid still needed to have the door open to his room and he also liked both Jason and Trent to keep their bedroom doors open for extra security.

Having Cerb tucked up next to him in bed, even though he was already long asleep when the dog arrived, would make Clay feel safe enough that Trent was comfortable closing the door to prevent any eavesdropping from their kid. Brock had trained Cerb to open doors, so the dog could still come and go freely, although his longtime handler doubted Cerb would leave the boy's side.

They were in the living room, eating wings and drinking beer with a game playing in the background when Trent, who wasn't in the mood for beating around the bush, came right out with what he wanted from his younger brother. "So, what are you two up to tomorrow morning," he started. Before Brock could open his mouth, he continued, "And don't annoy me by lying because we both know it's not running."

"That was a faster segway than I expected," Brock said. "And here I thought you just wanted to hang out with me and watch baseball."

"Kid, you are my top choice for hanging out. And you are always welcome here, anytime day or night," Trent stood to get them both another beer. "You're the reason I always keep a tube of those cinnamon rolls in the refrigerator. And once they're baked, I hide them from Clay in the orange container I labeled broccoli."

Brock laughed. "You truly are the best, Trent."

"I know three ex-Mrs. Sawyer's who would take issue with that," Trent said.

Brock got serious because he loved his brother and hated the thought that the team caregiver might not know how truly special he was to them. "If they couldn't see what they had when they were with you, that's their loss. We all know you are the best, so clearly there must have been something wrong with them," Brock said, defensively.

Trent smiled at his kid brother's complete loyalty. "Relax there, bulldog," he laughed. "This is why I love you and Clay so much. You are too young to have known me when I was your age. The other grumpy old geezers will take it to their graves, but believe me Kiddo, I was never a prize in the husband category."

"That's not possible, Trent," Brock argued, stubbornly. "I know what kind of man you are."

"You know the man I am now, but when I was in my twenties and thirties, I was a different guy," Trent said, seriously. "I made bad choices on a regular basis. If it wasn't that Sonny and Ray and especially Jason refused to give up on me, I'd probably be drunk off my ass, living in a trailer in the middle of nowhere Alabama, surviving off my military benefits."

Brock looked at his hero like he had two heads. "No way, I don't believe that. I've never heard anything like that from anyone. We would all be lost without you. Especially me and the kid."

"And you never will hear it from anyone on Bravo, or even the older guys on the other teams," Trent said, shrugging. "I tell you and the kid all the time, what happens on Bravo stays with Bravo. I would die before I'd air out the dirty laundry of any of my brothers, and I know they feel the same about me."

"You know you can trust me, always, Trent. I love you and would do anything for you. And it scares me to even think about where Clay would be right now if he didn't have you taking care of him, worrying about him, protecting him and thrashing his ass when he needs it," Brock said, trying to keep control of his emotions. "Any kid would be lucky to have you for a father. And I absolutely know that I'm lucky to have you looking out for me."

Trent smiled. "You know, Clay gave me this same love-fest just a few hours ago. And I'll tell you the same thing I told him. No matter how much you love me, I love you more. If I didn't have you and the kid to worry about and fuss over and scold, I don't know what I'd do with myself. Probably start feeding stray cats."

Brock laughed. "You don't even like cats."

"I know. So think how miserable I'd be with no one to mother," Trent said. "And speaking of my excellent mothering instincts, I hope you two aren't trying to soften me up with the I love yous because whatever you are planning for tomorrow is going to make my head explode."

Brock rolled his eyes. "No, Trent. It's nothing like that."

"Why don't I believe you?" the older man asked, leaning forward and taking another wing.

"Because you are naturally suspicious?" Brock responded.

When Trent gave him the 'I mean business' staredown, Brock started talking. Just like his brother knew he would.

"I swear it's nothing bad," Brock said, quickly. "But, Trent, I promised him I wouldn't tell you. I can't break my word to him. You know how hard it is to gain his trust. I can't snitch on the kid. You can believe me. I would never go along with him doing something that would piss off you or Jason. I'm not stupid."

"Okay, okay," Trent said, calmly. "Relax, Brock. I do believe you. I know you are not stupid and I trust you would never purposely let the kid get into trouble. But you know how fast things can turn when he melts down. He sent your wife's brother to the hospital and almost destroyed Jason's truck with Derrick just a few feet away."

"I know Trent. And you are definitely right that there is something going on in his head. And I will tell you what I got out of him today, but I need you to trust me that I have tomorrow morning under control. I made him promise to come clean with you and Jason about it when we get back to base." Brock paused. "Really, Trent. He wants to make Jason and you and the other guys proud of him. It's not anything bad. And if he even slightly looks like he's going to go off the rails, I swear I will call you immediately."

"Okay," Trent said. "I trust you, Brock. I just want to be sure you are keeping an eye on him. So what else did he tell you today?"

"He's really got himself worked up about Ms. Ellis, but I'm not sure if he's interpreting everything correctly or if this is like when he had it in his head that Jason didn't want him anymore."

"What exactly did he say?" Trent asked.

"He finally admitted out loud that he's scared of Ms. Ellis," Brock said. "The kid said he was afraid that if he told you or Jason what was going on that you guys wouldn't believe him. He kept saying that it 'sounded crazy'."

"And Trent," Brock continued. "He really scared me at one point. He was getting upset in the cafeteria. I was trying to get him out of there because it was crowded and I didn't want a repeat of him having a breakdown like he did in front of those guys from Delta." Brock paused to reign in his own emotions.

"Trent, he got worked up and said he couldn't take it if Jason dumped him. Said he had been dumped so many times - some you and Jason don't even know about. Then he said that if Jason got rid of him, he would rather die than be on his own again. And he meant it, Trent," Brock said, getting worked up himself. "I could tell."

Trent was alarmed, but he tried to be calm and not get Brock more upset. He absolutely knew that he would be having a long, serious talk with Jason first thing in the morning while his kids were out 'running'.

"You were right to tell me, Brock," Trent said, firmly. "And believe me, I will be all over this with Jason tomorrow. We are most definitely going to get to the bottom of this shit show and get Clay sorted out."

Just then, Cerb came into the room. The dog went straight to Brock and barked once indicating that he wanted to alert him of a problem. Trent was already on his feet and heading toward the room where the kid was sleeping.

When he got to the door of the spare room with Brock and Cerb following, the first thing the medic noticed was that the bed was empty. Quickly scanning the room, Trent first heard, and then saw Clay sitting on the floor with his legs pulled up to his chest and his face buried in his knees trying to hide behind the nightstand by the bed. His breathing was rapid, and he was whimpering into his knees. Both men recognized the position of his body as mirroring how he looked in the shower room a few months back when he had a flashback of a past attack he suffered during his time in foster care.

Approaching slowly, Trent stopped a few feet in front of the kid, slowly crouching down in front of him. "Clay," he said, gently. "Can you hear me?"

When Trent didn't get a response, and Clay continued to keep his face buried as if he hadn't heard his big brother, Trent slowly reached out, attempting to put his hand on the kid's arm.

Both Trent and Brock were shocked when instead of having the expected calming effect, the older man's hand touching his arm caused Clay to jerk back suddenly to avoid the touch. The kid's head snapped up suddenly as if he were surprised. The panicked movement caused the kid to smack the back of his head hard against the wooden bed frame.

Both men winced at the loud sound of the kid's head connecting with the bed. Clay cried out in shock and pain, reaching up with both hands to cover his head. "Ow!" he wailed, loudly, attempting to curl himself into an even tighter ball.

Trent reached behind himself, indicating that Brock should back up, as he also moved further away, giving the clearly upset and confused kid more space. Brock also ordered Cerb to back away from the kid to hopefully avoid panicking him further.

With the lights off, the room was still dark, the only light coming from the hallway. They couldn't get a good look at the boy, and his totally unusual reaction to Trent, who he always clung to immediately seeking comfort and protection when he was hurt and scared, shocked both men.

Clay's strange behavior caused the medic to suspect that the kid might not be completely awake. He and Jason had both experienced trying to calm the kid after a nightmare and realizing that he was still caught in the bad dream, confused and afraid. Seeing that he still appeared to be trying to hide behind the nightstand, apparently unaware that his brothers could plainly see him huddled there, told Trent that the kid was still dreaming.

"What's wrong with him?" Brock whispered, sounding panicked. "I've never seen him pull away from you before. And did you hear his head hit the bed? I'm surprised he didn't knock himself out."

"Relax, Brock," Trent said, firmly. "Yes. I heard it. I'll check him out when he's calmed down. We need to be calm and not agitate him more than he already is. He'll come around. He's still dreaming, and not completely awake."

Turning his attention back to the kid who was still clutching his head and crying softly, Trent called out his name again. "Clay?" he said, somehow sounding both gentle and firm at the same time. "Honey, can you hear me? It's Trent. It's time to wake up."

"I'm sorry," he cried. "I promise I wasn't bad. I'm not lying. She's lying. I didn't bite her. She bit herself. She wants the dad to punish me. I don't want to get a whipping with the switch."

"Trent, can't you wake him up?" Brock said, trying to stay calm. Hearing his baby brother terrified of what he clearly feared was an impending beating was breaking his heart.

"He's talking to us. That means he's coming around. He's confused and scared, but he'll be okay once he's awake," Trent promised. "I know it's hard to see, but I think it's almost over. He may not even remember when he wakes up completely."

Trent slowly moved slightly closer to the kid. "Clay? Come on now, kiddo. I know you can hear me. It's just Trent and Brock. Cerb told us you were having a bad dream. I want you to answer me now," he said, firmly.

"Trent?" he cried, brokenly. "Will you tell Jason I didn't bite her? She's lying, Trent."

"Who's lying?" Trent asked, knowing the kid had multiple events mixed up in his dream.

"Ms. Ellis," he whispered as if he was afraid someone other than his trusted comforter would hear him. "She told the dad I bit her. Now I'm gonna get a whipping."

Brock was speechless at this point. He had to hold back Cerb who was pulling to get to the kid. He trusted Trent to settle the kid down, but he knew he would never forget the sound of his sweet baby brother's terrified voice.

"Clay," Trent said, calmly. "Stay right where you are. I'm coming to get you, okay?"

"Okay,Trent," he cried.

Slowly approaching the kid, Trent moved the nightstand away from the bed before reaching out this time. "Clay?" he said. "Come on out now. It's okay, honey. You're awake now. You were having a bad dream, but it's over."

"I don't want a whipping," he repeated. The kid looked up at Trent, still terrified with tears pouring down his face. "Please, tell him she's lying, Trent."

Trent felt as horrible as he had the night months earlier when Clay had revealed the horrors of his childhood to him and Jason in this same room. The medic knew their boy was mixing up several different people and events in his head, and nothing he was saying could be relied on as accurate. But knowing that his fear was real and was rooted in actual events made his heart ache yet again for this kid they all loved so much. Hearing Brock's broken breathing from across the room, Trent knew that he had more than one little brother to put back together.

His eyes now adjusted to the limited light in the room, Trent could see his boy's own fear-filled eyes staring up at him, pleading for protection.

Trent sat down on the floor with his back leaning against the bed and opened his arms. "Come here, sweetheart," he said, gently.

Clay scrambled out from behind the nightstand, crawling into his trusted uncle's safe arms and curling into his chest as he had done many times before when he needed and received comfort and protection. As soon as he was safely wrapped in the older man's strong arms, Clay began sobbing hysterically.

Holding onto Trent as if he might suddenly disappear, he was still rambling between choked out sobs about biting and Mandy and the dad giving him a whipping and not telling Jason. Trent knew from experience that the only thing he could do at this point was to hold the kid, calmly tell him that he was safe, and let him cry until he wore himself out and started to settle.

"Shh, it's okay," he said quietly, rocking the kid gently. "It was just a scary dream. Baby, no one is getting a whipping. I've got you, and no one is going to hurt you. I'm here, Brock is here, Cerb is here. You are here with us in your room at my house."

After a few minutes, Clay's sobbing turned to quiet crying as he settled down. Still curled in Trent's arms, the medic could see that the kid was awake and seemed aware of his surroundings.

"Do you know where you are, honey?" Trent questioned calmly. He rubbed his boy's head carefully to avoid touching what he knew would be a sore lump or cut where his head connected with the bed.

When he nodded, Trent prompted, "Can you tell me?"

"At your house with you and Brock and Cerb," Clay answered softly. Sniffling, but no longer crying.

"That's right, sweetheart," Trent said, smiling and kissing the top of the kid's head. "Everything is fine. You had a bad dream, but you are okay."

Trent felt the kid suddenly stiffen in his arms.

"Is Jason okay?" he asked, sounding panicked. "Where's Jason?"

"Calm down, honey," Trent soothed. He looked confused at Brock over the kid's head. "Jason is fine. He's coming home tomorrow, remember?"

"Where is he? I want to see him, Trent," Clay said, quickly.

"He went to New York to visit Emma," Brock reminded him, reaching out to softly rub the kid's leg. "You remember that. He'll be back tomorrow afternoon."

Clay was making an obvious attempt to calm his breathing. Still curled into Trent's safe arms, he held tight to his favorite uncle's shirt and tried to remember exactly what had happened.

"I had a bad dream?" he asked, quietly. "Is it over, Trent?"

Trent smiled down at the kid in his arms, relieved he was finally settling down and coming around. He kissed the top of his head again.

"Yes, honey. You had a bad dream, and yes it is over now," he assured his kid.

"You bumped your head, Shorty," Trent said. "Does it hurt?"

"I don't know," he said, still slightly confused. "It hurts back here, I think." Clay reached back to feel the back of his head cautiously.

"Lean forward for me, Kiddo," Trent said, gently. "Let me take a look."

Clay obeyed, leaning forward in the medics arms. Trent couldn't see anything in the dimly lit room on the kid's head covered in blond curls. Gently prodding the back of his head looking for a bump he knew the hard smack would have caused. Trent felt the egg sized lump at the exact moment the kid yelped.

"Ouch, Trent," he complained. "Don't touch, it hurts."

"Hold still, Clay," Trent said, sternly. The kid obeyed as his caregiver gently felt around the swollen area. There was no blood, which left him feeling relieved. The last thing he wanted to do was give the worked up kid stitches and a tetanus shot.

"It's just a swollen bump," Trent said to Brock, rubbing the kids back and allowing him to lean back against his chest again. "Luckily, the kid has a thick skull," he teased.

After a few minutes of all three SEALS breathing slowly and quietly, Trent spoke softly.

"Can you tell us about your dream, honey?" He was using the gentle, firm voice that his kid responded to best.

"It seems crazy now, Trent," Clay said, quietly, making no attempt to move from his safe place in the medic's arms. "But I was really scared."

"I know you were. Dreams can seem vivid and real, sweetheart," Trent continued with the same calm tone. "What do you remember?"

"I don't remember the whole thing exactly. But I remember I was hiding from my dad," Clay said.

"Jason?" Trent questioned, keeping his tone neutral, knowing that the kid often misinterpreted responses as being negative.

"It was my foster dad I think. Remember how I told you I hid from him behind the shed because I was going to get a spanking with the switch?"

"I remember," Trent said, calmly. Brock chose to keep his mouth shut, knowing he couldn't be calm or neutral discussing his baby brother being beaten by an abusive asshole.

When Clay was quiet, Trent prompted him to continue. "When you were dreaming, you said Ms. Ellis lied because she wanted your dad to punish you. Do you remember that?"

"It was all mixed up. I was hiding because I pushed Sarah and she was crying. She said I bit her, but I didn't."

"Who is Sarah?" Brock asked, confused.

"She was my foster sister. In the dream, I thought it was Sarah. But then Ms. Ellis was there too. It was really weird and scary," Clay tried to explain. "And I was hiding from my foster dad, but then Ash was there. Ms. Ellis told someone I bit her on the arm, but then she bit herself so it would look like I bit her. She wanted me to get punished."

"Do you remember asking for Jason?" Trent asked, still rubbing the kid's head and holding him protectively. "You seemed upset and asked if he was okay."

"Yes," Clay said, sounding surprised himself. "I forgot that part. I'm not sure if it was Sarah or Ms. Ellis, but someone told Jason I was bad and I bit her. Then Jason took off without me."

Clay had finally calmed down, but now he was getting worked up explaining how Jason had left thinking he was bad. Trent immediately interjected to settle the kid back down.

"Shh," he soothed. "Take a breath, honey. It's just a dream, remember? You didn't bite anyone. And Jason isn't going anywhere."

"Ash killed him," Clay said, brokenly. "Ash killed Jason. Ms. Ellis told Jason I was bad and I bit her. Then Jason left and moved away somewhere without me. Then Ash came and told me and Ms. Ellis that he had killed Jason and he was never coming back."

"Ok, Clay," Trent said, deciding that was enough dream rehashing. "Let's calm down and relax. How about we get up off this floor and go get a drink in the kitchen. And we need to get some ice on that lump."

Watching his kid try to settle himself, Trent talked softly. "It was a wacky, scary dream. But I promise you are okay, and everything is fine. Jason is coming home tomorrow. He is perfectly okay. No one is mad at you. You are not in trouble."

"Are you sure he's okay, Trent?" Clay questioned. He slowly removed himself from his best comforter's arms and stood up. Brock finally released Cerb who went immediately to the side of his favorite kid.

"He's fine, Clay. I promise," Trent said, firmly.

"Let's get that drink and some ice for your sore noggin," Brock said, changing the subject and walking toward the kitchen area. "I think you missed your calling, Kiddo. You should be a dog handler, not a sniper."

Clay smiled. "You really think I could be a good dog handler, Brock?" he asked.

"I think you can be great at whatever you set your mind to, Squirt," Brock said. He gently rubbed the kid's hair, careful not to touch his lump. Trent poured them both a glass of lemonade and filled a small baggie with crushed ice chips to soothe their boy's soon to be aching head.

Crouching down in front of the kitchen chair where Clay was sitting, Trent pulled a penlight out of his pocket and checked the kid's eyes to see if they were even and reactive. Confirming no signs of concussion, the medic stood back up and gave Cerb a gentle pat on the head. Brock was right, the kid had a way with animals, and the dog was attached to his side.

The medic went to the cupboard and took out a bottle of Tylenol, shaking two tablets out and handing them to their kid. Trent hoped that would take the edge off the headache he knew was coming, allowing his boy to get some sleep.

"You still feel up to running in the morning?" Brock questioned, taking the ice bag from his big brother and carefully laying it against the back of the kid's head without applying too much pressure. "We can reschedule for another day if you think you want to sleep in tomorrow."

"No Brock," Clay said, quickly. "I want to go with you. I won't be too tired, I promise."

"Okay, Runt," Brock said. He finished his own lemonade when Trent stepped in to take over, holding the ice to the kid's head. "Cerb and I need to hit the road before Katie puts out a missing person's report. I'll be here bright and early tomorrow to pick you up."

"Bye Brock," Clay said, rubbing the dog's head before watching him follow his brother to the door. "I love you."

"Love you, back, Shorty," Brock said, opening the door. "And you too, Trent."

"See you tomorrow, Kid," Trent answered, patting his younger brother on the back before locking the door behind him.

Trent turned back toward his worn out baby who was currently sipping lemonade and fighting to keep his eyes open. "Come on, sweetheart," he said, taking the glass from the kid before he dropped it. "Go try to use the bathroom, and then we are heading back to bed."

After a few minutes, Trent heard the toilet flush and turned to see the kid coming out of the bathroom, drying his hands on his sleep pants.

"Trent?" he said, hesitantly

"What is it, honey?" Trent asked,

"Are you sure Jason is okay?" the kid asked softly.

"Yes, Clay," Trent said patiently. "He's fine and heading home tomorrow. I know you miss him. And I know he misses you too."

Trent picked up the ice from the table and held it once again against the kid's lump.

"Can we call him in the morning, before I go with Brock?" Clay asked, wincing slightly when Trent returned the ice to his sore head.

"Sure honey," Trent said. "Knowing Jason, he might already be on the road by then. We can call him before you go."

Taking the kid's hand, and moving it to hold the ice himself, Trent told him to head back to bed.

Clay was almost to the bedroom door when he turned back toward the older man who was turning off lights and checking doors. "Trent?" he said, softly.

"What is it, Squirt?" Trent asked, already knowing what his kid wanted.

"Can I sleep in your room tonight?" Clay asked quietly, looking down at his bare feet and feeling like a little kid. Clay hoped Trent would allow him to curl up and hold onto his shirt all night with no teasing. Brock was right, that's what big brothers do. And apparently favorite uncles too.

"Of course you can, buddy," Trent replied with zero judgment. "I know it always feels better to have someone close by after a bad dream."

Curling up against his protector's side once the medic had secured the house and climbed into bed, Clay mumbled softly, "I love you, Uncle Trent."

Trent smiled at his sweet boy, wrapping his arm around the kid and kissing his head before reaching over to turn off the light on the nightstand. "Love you more, baby."

The next morning, Trent's internal alarm clock woke him at 5:30 a.m. The kid was sound asleep, still curled up against his side and holding tight to his old t-shirt. Carefully detaching the boy's hand from his shirt, Trent silently slipped out of bed before turning to pull the comforter up to cover the sleeping kid, assuring he was tucked in safe and warm.

Trent knew he had less than an hour before he needed to get Clay up and moving so that the kid would be ready when Brock arrived at 6:45 to take him God knows where. Quietly closing the bedroom door behind himself, Trent headed into the kitchen to make some strong, black coffee and get Jason on the phone. Trent knew his longtime teammate as well as he knew anyone. He had little doubt that his boss was already in his truck, on the highway, heading back home to his team and his kid.

Trent took his coffee and his phone out onto the patio to make the call. He seriously doubted that Clay would wake up on his own, but just in case, Bravo Four wanted to be sure he had privacy to explain what he needed from Jason. The Master Chief answered immediately on the first ring, concerned to see Trent's name appear on his phone so early in the morning.

"What's up, Trent?" Jason asked. "Everything okay there?"

Knowing his friend well, Trent could clearly hear the concern in his voice. "Yeah, Jase. Everyone is fine," he started. "But listen for a minute, Boss. I need you to do something for me, and I don't have a lot of time to explain everything. Are you on the road? It sounds like you're in the truck."

"Yeah, Trent. I left an hour ago because I was going stir crazy in the hotel. I want to get back and make sure all is well before the weekend. We're back on rotation Monday, so I want to be sure we're ready in case we get spun up this week." Jason paused, sensing something was off with his medic. "Are you sure everything is okay? The kid is good?"

"He's okay, Jase," Trent said. "But we definitely need to talk before you get back. Brock is coming to pick Clay up in an hour to supposedly go running and then out for breakfast. I'm going to call as soon as they leave so we can talk without the listening ears lurking around the house. The kid is still sleeping, but I need to get him up soon, so I need you just to listen."

"Okay, Trent," Jason said, sounding annoyed. "I'm listening. Now what the hell is going on there?"

"The short version is that Ellis went full on bitch with the kid at a briefing on Wednesday. Ray shut her down, but not before Clay lost it and was out of line and disrespectful," Trent said.

"Son of a bitch," Jason interjected. "One of these days, I'm going to snap and strangle that little shit. He knows I'm not having his disrespectful teen bullshit. I hope you let him have it good. Now I'll be getting an earful from Mandy about how I let the kid run wild."

"Calm down, Jason," Trent said. "We can talk about that later. I told you I need you to just listen."

"I'm listening. Go ahead," Jason sighed.

"I shut the kid's mouth in the briefing, and when I got him home, I spanked the hell out of him. And believe me, he was sorry," Trent said. "He knows he was wrong and why it can't happen again."

"Good," Jason said, simply.

Trent went on, "I told Clay, and now I'm telling you, Jase. He was a brat, he was wrong, I punished him, and now it's over."

"And?" Jason asked, confused.

"And I need you to be on the same page about that," Trent explained. "The kid was really upset about what your reaction might be. He said that you really like Mandy, and he was afraid you would be mad at him. The kid asked me if I thought you would spank him again when you got home."

"Seriously?" Jason asked. "Clay knows I would never punish him more than once like that."

"I thought he understood that too, Jase," Trent continued. "But, for some reason, he has it in his head that because it's Ellis he back talked, the consequences may be different."

"Well, he's wrong. We are on the same page, Trent. You were the adult in charge of the kid. He acted up, and you dealt with it the same way I would have if I were home. It was two days ago, and it is over," Jason said. "So why the early morning call?"

"Because your kid has himself all worked up over this, and I haven't been able to figure out why he's upset," Trent explained. "Last night, he had a nightmare and it took me a while to get him fully awake and calmed down. I don't have time to go into the whole thing now, but he was crying about the incident with the foster sister who accused him of biting her. But he had Mandy, Ash and you all mixed up in the story."

"Shit," Jason sighed.

"Yeah, Boss," Trent concurred. "He was rambling about Mandy wanting you to punish him, and Ash killing you. He was a wreck. The kid kept making me promise you were really okay. He asked if we could call you first thing this morning."

Trent was quiet for a few seconds.

"He needs you to reassure him that everything is fine. That you aren't mad at him, and that he's not in trouble with you over this," Trent paused. "The kid spent the night in my bed attached to my side worrying as usual that this might be the screw up that finally makes you cut him loose."

"I know you set him straight on that," Jason said.

"Of course I did, Jase," Trent sighed. "We all did. But based on the shape he was in last night, he needs more reassurance. And it needs to come from you. Which is why I am giving you the heads up now before you let your worry for the kid sound like you are pissed off at him, and next thing I know he's knocked over a liquor store and hasn't shit for a week."

"And Boss," Trent added. "You may want to mentally prepare for more than bitching about the kid when Ms. Ellis tracks you down. I let her know that I am well aware of her place and authority level as it relates to Clay specifically and Bravo in general. And I was not using my nice voice. Blackburn backed me up on it. And unlike the kid, I am not apologizing because I meant every word. And I'm not sorry."

"Mandy has no authority over Clay or Bravo," Jason said simply.

"Which is exactly what I told her when she decided it was her place to reprimand and belittle my kid after I had already addressed his attitude and punished him for his behavior," Trent added.

"So, you're saying the Mandy meddling I hoped would go away if I told the kid to ignore her and stay out of it has not gone away and needs to be put down?" Jason said dryly.

"ASAP, Boss," Trent answered.

"Call me back when he's awake so I can talk to him," Jason started. "And before you remind me again, I hear you, Trent. And we are one hundred percent on the same page regarding Clay."

"Copy that, Jase," Trent said, walking back into the house from the patio. "I'm going to haul him out of bed now so he can talk to you before Brock shows up to get him. And then once they're gone, I'll call you back because we need to sort out what's been going on before you get back and have to face everyone at once."

"Sounds like a plan," Jason said. "Go get Trouble up and put him on the phone. And Trent, I know I don't say it enough, but I could not raise this kid and manage Bravo at the same time without you. I know it. Clay definitely knows it. And I want you to know how much I appreciate everything you are doing for both of us. But especially the kid. He adores you, and would be lost without you."

Trent laughed. "Well the feeling is mutual, Jase. The exit of Mrs. Sawyer Number Three pretty much sealed the deal on me not being a family man. And I'm fine with that, because we both know what this job entails. And Bravo has been my chosen family for more than half my life. But having a kid to take care of and look out for is something I honestly didn't know I was missing. So I'd be just as lost without him."

"Speak of the devil," Trent said. "Look who got his scrawny butt out of bed all on his own. This is a pleasant surprise. I thought I'd have to get the spray bottle to get you up."

Clay walked into Trent's arms, hugging him tightly. "Where did you go?" he pouted. "I woke up and you were gone. And the bedroom door was closed."

"Sorry Runt," he said gently, returning the kid's hug before kissing the top of his head. "I wasn't expecting you to wake up on your own. I was right here, just on the patio. I called Jason because I know you want to talk to him before you take off with Brock."

Jason had the phone on speaker in the truck and was listening to the exchange between his brother and his kid. He could hear the anxiety in Clay's voice and immediately understood why Trent had called.

Trent put his phone on speaker and set it down on the counter. "You still there, Jase?"

"Still here, driving through middle of nowhere Pennsylvania," Jason said cheerfully. "Hey Sunshine. Why is it you are up with the birds on your own for your Uncle Trent and I have to threaten bodily harm to motivate you in the morning?"

"Jason?" Clay called, grabbing the phone, even though it was on speaker. "Are you okay? Why are you in Pennsylvania? When will you be home?"

The kid was suddenly wide awake and breathlessly firing out questions. Both men were keenly aware that he needed to be sorted out before they were dealing with a meltdown situation. Unfortunately, neither adult had any real understanding of what was causing their kid's upset.

"Woah," Trent said firmly, reaching out to rub the kid's back. "Take a breath there Squirt. That's a lot of questions for 6 a.m."

"Trent's right," Jason added, equally firm. "I'm fine. I'll be home around lunchtime. And if you consult a map of the eastern United States, kiddo, Pennsylvania is between Emma in New York City and you in Virginia Beach."

"Sorry," Clay said, quietly. "I was worried you might not be okay. I just want you to come home."

"I'm totally okay and coming home as fast as I can. There is nothing for you to worry about. Or be sorry for. I miss you too, Sunshine," Jason spoke calmly.

Clay turned to face Trent who continued to rub his back. "Did you tell him, Trent?" he whispered.

Before Trent could answer, Jason jumped in to respond. "You are on speaker, Clay. I can hear you. And if you are talking about what happened at the briefing on Wednesday. Trent already told me."

"What did he tell you?" Clay questioned nervously.

"Well," Jason said, "How about you tell me your version, and then we can see how these accounts line up?"

"Okay," Clay began softly. "I was rude to Ms. Ellis at the briefing. Trent and Ray were disappointed in the way I acted. When we got home that night Trent talked to me about why I was wrong and how I need to do better controlling myself. And I got punished."

"Sounds like what Trent already told me, honey." Jason was speaking gently. Trent was glad he had called ahead.

"So, do you understand why you were wrong and need to do better controlling your behavior?" Jason questioned calmly.

"Yes, sir," Clay answered, voice wavering.

"Scorched backside?" Jason asked matter of factly.

"Big time," Clay said softly.

"Big time huh?" Jason whistled. "Well, honey, you have my condolences for your blistered tush. But it sounds like all three of us know that you made a bad choice and got a painful reminder that your behavior has consequences. And since I haven't heard that Trent brought the spanking spoon to the discussion, I'm guessing you are sitting comfortably as we speak. And we are all moving on to enjoy a relaxing weekend."

"Are you mad at me?" Clay asked anxiously.

"No, Clay," Jason said. "Why would you think I am mad?"

"Because I was rude to Ms. Ellis and you really like her a lot," Clay said, wiping at his eyes. Jason could hear that he was trying to hold back tears, and he knew Trent was by the kid's side soothing him calmly. Once again, he thanked God for both the unwavering loyalty of his brother and his skill as a caregiver.

"Clay, I want you to listen to me carefully and pay attention, son," Jason said gently. "Can you do that?"

"Yes," Clay whispered, leaning sideways against Trent who remained silent to let Jason handle his kid.

"Good," Jason continued. "I have known and worked with Mandy for a long time. Long before you were even born. She's been someone I know at work, and we have been able to have a good working relationship. Sometimes she and I agree, and sometimes we argue, but you don't see that because it's not your job to be concerned with my work relationships."

"But you like her right?" Clay asked hesitantly. "And she likes you?"

"Sometimes I like her. Sometimes she royally pisses me off," Jason answered, thinking to himself that once again Trent was right about the kid. There was definitely more than he knew going on in his boy's head.

"But, Clay," he continued. "Mandy is not part of Bravo or our family. She's just someone whose job is to be the contact person between our teams and the CIA. Yes, it's important that I can get along and work with her because it's in all of our best interests that we can trust each other and work well together."

"Sweetheart," Trent spoke for the first time, aware that Clay was confused about their relationship with Mandy. "I can see that you have been confused about how Ms. Ellis fits into what we do at work. And after this week, I realize that we should have done more to help you understand that there are dynamics that are way above your pay grade that you are too young for us to expect you to understand. Telling you to ignore her, and then expecting you to respect her was wrong on our part."

Trent and Clay turned to see Brock coming in through the patio door. "Hey, Brock," Trent said lightly. "Join the group chat. The boss is on the phone."

"Hey Boss," Brock said, resting his hand on the kid's head, clearly seeing that he was upset. Making eye contact with Trent over Clay's head, Brock gave him a 'what the fuck?' look.

"Another one of my favorite kids is up at the crack of dawn. I'm glad to know that at least my youngest team members are taking their physical fitness seriously," Jason joked. "I'm going to guess Sonny won't be joining you on this early morning run."

Brock laughed, stroking the kid's head softly to avoid the lump left from last night's bad dream. "No chance of that Boss," he said. "How about you, Shorty? How's the head? You still up for running, or maybe we should make this an early morning walk to breakfast."

"It's not too bad," Clay said quietly. "I can keep up."

"I don't doubt you can," Brock said, continuing to rub as the kid leaned into his touch. "You can outrun me any day. But I don't want Trent kicking my ass because I made you run with a giant goose egg on your head."

"Hold up," Jason interjected. "What goose egg? I know Trent has checked this out."

"Yes, Jase," Trent said. " He bumped the back of his head on the bed last night. It's been checked and iced. And the kid is about to get another dose of Tylenol because I have no doubt it's starting to ache."

"Really Trent," he whined, looking up at Brock with pleading eyes. "I'm fine. I want to go with Brock."

"Relax, Clay," Trent soothed. "No one is saying you can't go with Brock and Cerb. We are just saying, walking might be a better option than running."

"Boss?" Brock said. "We were planning to take Cerb for a run and then get breakfast. I thought we'd be in by 9:30. If we walk, it's going to take longer to make it back to base. Is it okay if we come in by 10:30? We'll still have time to get through the workouts you left for us. If necessary, I can stay late with Clay and we'll finish everything."

"That's fine, Brock," Jason said. "And don't worry about staying late. I know you both can handle the workouts."

"Thanks Jase," Clay said quietly. He was still trying to wrap his head around the whole Mandy thing and really wanted to talk to Dr. Jeff.

"You're welcome, Sunshine," he said. "Clay. I know that our connection with Mandy is confusing. Trent is right. It's our fault - my fault - for expecting you to understand and ignore her. I want you to go have fun with Brock and Cerb and not worry about this anymore. You are my kid, my family. I love you, and it's my job to sort out this mess, not yours."

"I'm going to tell you exactly what I know Trent already told you, honey. And I want you to listen carefully," Jason continued. "It was wrong for you to back talk Mandy because she is an adult, and you are expected to respect adults. Not because I like her or because she has authority over you, because she doesn't. Trent has already made sure she knows that, and I will confirm she understands when I get back today. Trent punished you because you were disrespectful to an adult. It's over now, and we are all moving on. I'm not mad. Trent's not mad. I don't know if Mandy is mad, and either way, I don't care. She's irrelevant to this discussion. She's not part of Bravo. She's not part of our team and our family. And she's most definitely not one of my three kids who I love more than anything in the world."

"Do you understand what I'm saying, Sunshine?" Jason asked.

"Yes," Clay answered.

"Tell me what you understand," Jason said, pulling out the 'dad' voice.

"You're not mad at me. I was rude to an adult. Trent spanked me. It's over. You're not going to spank me again for being rude to Ms. Ellis. We're moving on," Clay summarized.

He paused before adding, "And you're not mad at me."

"Nice summary, Squirt," Brock teased gently, smiling at his little brother. "You may want to put on some actual clothes if we are going to get going."

"Okay, Trent?" Clay asked, turning to his current babysitter.

"Take these," Trent said, handing him two tablets and a glass of water. "And it's walking, not running. Got it?"

"Yes, Trent. I promise, no running," he said, quickly heading to the bedroom to dress before any more questions were asked.

Ten minutes later, Bravo's rookie and dog handler were calling their good-byes to the boss and planting quick kisses on the head of their favorite comfort provider and resident hero before heading out for the day.

"I love you guys," Clay called out,

"Love you more," the boss and the medic called back to their kid.

"They're gone?" Jason asked.

"Yes," Trent confirmed. "They're gone."

"Ok, Trent. You need to back up and tell me what you know. I want to hear what Brock and Clay have spilled to you, because we both know they lose the ability to keep a secret in your presence. And I want to know what you think is going on here because, nine times out of ten when it involves the kid, your instincts are spot on." Jason waited silently for his brother to respond.

"Well, Jase," he finally replied. "My instincts seem to be failing me this time. I have had no luck cracking the kid, and despite what Sonny seems to think, I have most definitely tried to crack him. Brock spilled his guts, but he doesn't understand what's been going on either. That's why we need to talk, so we can hopefully put our heads together and sort this out." Trent took a breath before continuing.

"What do you think Ellis' issue is with Clay?" Trent asked straight out.

"Trent, up until now, I didn't see any real issue between her and the kid," Jason responded. "I thought she was pissed off at me for getting in the way of using him whenever and however she wanted to get information and targets, and ultimately to further her career. I thought her complaining about the coddling was because she was trying to get a rise out of me, which failed miserably if that was her goal. What's your take on this?"

Trent sighed. "At first, I was thinking like you. That this was tension between you and her over her being blocked all access to the kid and his language skills."

"And now?" Jason pushed.

"Now, I don't know. Ray, always being devil's advocate, suggested she's pissed at the kid for disrespecting her, and Clay's sulking and feeling sorry for himself because I was the one to put him over my knee, but Boss, I think there's more going on here," Trent said. "And I don't think it just started in the last couple weeks. I think this has been brewing for a while."

"What makes you say that?" Jason questioned.

"Clay's level of anxiety and upset for one thing," Trent replied. "Last night before the nightmare, we came within an hour of me either dragging him to the infirmary to get cleaned out, or having to take care of it myself at home. Luckily, I remembered my mother had an old family miracle cure. I called her, and thank Jesus for both Clay and me, it did the trick. We didn't get to that point overnight. The kid has been nursing his farfetched fears and anxieties for a while."

"Okay," Jason said. "He's been upset and hiding it for at least a few weeks you think?"

"Definitely," Trent confirmed.

"And what exactly was this crazy nightmare you mentioned about?" Jason questioned.

"I had just gotten him settled and asleep after he finally used the bathroom, so I called Brock to find out what he knew. He was alone with Clay for a couple hours yesterday afternoon so I figured he had information," Trent explained.

"What did he say?" Jason asked.

"Nothing good," Trent said. "Brock was super worried, and I don't blame him. Apparently, Clay admitted he was scared of Mandy. Brock says he wouldn't elaborate. All he could get out of him was that he's afraid that you and I won't believe him because whatever he's afraid of 'sounds crazy'".

"What the hell does that mean?" Jason was clearly frustrated.

"I don't know," Trent said. "Brock also admitted they aren't actually out running which I knew was bullshit and called him on it."

"So what are they up to?" Jason asked.

"Brock wouldn't tell me. He said he'd promised Clay he wouldn't tell and he couldn't break his trust," Trent explained. "He says it's nothing that will piss us off or cause a meltdown and that the kid wants to make us proud. Brock also claims he told Clay he has to come clean about what they are up to as soon as they get back to base."

"I already have a headache, and I haven't even crossed the Virginia state line," Jason quipped. "What the fuck sense does any of that make?"

"None to me," Trent said. "But we aren't going on seventeen, so I'm pretty sure that most of what Clay thinks and reasons wouldn't make much sense to us."

"If Brock thinks he has this whole morning adventure under control, and he actually believes the kid is going to tell us about it later today, then why is he so worried?" Jason knew Trent hadn't told him everything yet.

"This is the part that has me most worried, Jase. Even more than whatever is happening with Mandy because I think it's likely knowing Clay that he's blown the Mandy drama way out of proportion in his head," Trent said.

"Just say it, Trent," Jason ordered.

"Yesterday when they went off alone, Clay got worked up worrying again about you being mad at him for upsetting Mandy," Trent began. "Brock says he tried to downplay it with the kid saying he was sure you wouldn't be pissed at him. Then he asked Clay why he was getting so anxious about this one confrontation when he had already been punished."

When his medic was quiet, Jason said, "Go on Trent. There is obviously something else."

"Jase," he said seriously, "Clay told Brock he couldn't take being dumped again. The kid said he had already been dumped too many times, some we don't even know about. Brock said the kid was trying hard not to lose it and cry because they were in the crowded cafeteria, so Brock took him outside. Once they were alone, Clay cried and told Brock that if you got rid of him, he would rather be dead than on his own again. Brock was close to tears telling me this last night. He says he told the kid again that you love him and will never abandon him. But Brock was really shaken up because he believes the kid really meant it when he said he'd rather be dead than alone again."

Jason was silent. Unable to continue driving while having this discussion, he pulled his truck into the parking lot of a roadside diner. The master chief's heart was pounding at the idea of his baby saying he would choose death over abandonment. Clay wasn't even seventeen yet and he had been hurt so much already in his short life that he had already thought about dying as a possibility to avoid another feared abandonment.

"Jase?" Trent said quietly. "You okay?"

Jason cleared his throat, getting himself together. "Yeah, Trent. I just pulled over because I can't drive and focus on this conversation." He paused again. "I know you would have told me if Clay had ever talked like this with you in the past, so obviously this is new. Do you think he would really hurt himself, Trent?"

"It's not actually new, Jason," Trent reminded him. "Remember when we got him to tell us about his horrendous childhood. He told us that at the boys' facility he had gone up to the roof to jump, but Brian stopped him."

"Yes, I remember," Jason said. "But since he's been on Bravo and he has adults who love and take care of him, he's never talked about preferring to die."

"No. He hasn't," Trent confirmed. "And he's been so much better the past few months. Way less reckless. Not so much testing behavior." Trent paused.

"Boss, I don't think he's saying he wants to die or anything like that. I think he was worn out and upset about the Mandy confrontation. He was feeling sorry for himself because I gave him a spanking when in his mind he felt she started it. He hadn't slept well because his ass was sore and he had a bellyache, and he was really missing you," Trent explained. "And we know there is nothing he could do to make you or any of us abandon him."

"But you are still worried, and so is Brock," Jason stated. "And so am I."

"I'm worried that he's actually thought about it," Trent said. "Kids his age do stupid, impulsive things because they get caught up in what's happening to them in the moment, and they aren't developmentally able to see that whatever their problem may be is not the end of the world. Kids have hurt or killed themselves over being bullied or dumped or doing something stupid that in their heads they think their parents will never forgive."

"Clay has legitimate reason to fear abandonment," Jason said. "Every adult in his life before he ended up with us either abused or abandoned him or both. We know he's always waiting to be thrown away. If he gets it in his head that somehow Mandy can make me turn on him, and he panics, afraid of being alone again. Who knows what he might do."

"I think we need to address this with Clay, straight on. No beating around the bush or confusion," Trent said. "We need to try to get him to come clean with what he's thinking. And then we need to continue to reassure him regularly that one or more of us being mad or frustrated or annoyed with him over some bad behavior in no way means that he is in danger of being abandoned."

"I agree," Jason said. "And it needs to happen this weekend. I think it would be a good idea to mention it to his psychologist as well to see what he thinks about the kid's current state of mind."

Trent nodded. "Yeah, Jase. I would let him know."

"What about this nightmare he had last night?" Jason sighed.

"He was upset, and I think it's probably a reaction to his high level of anxiety right now. The kid also has a wild imagination and crazy dreams are nothing new to him," Trent shrugged.

"You said Mandy was part of it?" Jason reminded him. "And Ash killed me?"

"From what I could gather from the kid, it started out as a bad dream recalling when the cop beat the hell out of him for supposedly biting the foster sister," Trent explained. "At some point, he started confusing the sister, Sarah, with Mandy. He told Brock and me that Mandy had told 'his dad' and 'the dad' that Clay had bit her because she wanted him to be punished. He was terrified and told us that he was going to get a whipping with the switch. He looked awake and was talking to us, but he was clearly caught in the dream because he kept repeating that Mandy was lying and he was going to get whipped with the switch."

"And how did I end up dead?" Jason questioned.

"According to Clay, Mandy convinced you that he is bad," Trent repeated what the kid had said. "He said you 'moved away without him'. Then Ash showed up and told him he had killed you so that you were never coming back. At that point, he was really upset, asking if I promised you were okay. Brock also looked like he might puke listening to him sounding like a ten-year-old crying that he didn't want a whipping with the switch. I shut down the dream talk and switched gears to get everyone calmed down and his head checked out."

"I'm no shrink," Jason said. "But clearly, he must see Mandy as a threat. Which honestly makes zero sense. She sees him as a potential asset. That's why she's pissed and frustrated I won't let her just use him when and how she wants. Why would she want to risk alienating him?"

"That's what none of us can figure out," Trent said. "Ray said the exact same thing. It would make more sense for Ellis to be warming up to him. But, Jase, I saw it with my own two eyes more than once. She is openly hostile to the kid, and he is clearly intimidated."

"What did you witness?" Jason asked, obviously not happy. He had always worked well with Mandy, but no way was he letting her play CIA mind games on his kid who already had enough past trauma haunting him.

"When you are in the room, she is generally all business with Clay. She doesn't address him directly and only speaks to you, which is procedure," Trent started. "But more often, since you kept him back from Liberia and got her panties in a twist, when you aren't with him, she has been approaching and singling him out."

"What have you heard her say?" Jason asked.

"At the briefing, she was more aggressive than I've seen her get with him. Everyone in the room including Blackburn and the support guys were taken off guard," Trent said. "She was talking to the room about a target. Then she addressed Clay directly. He had been taking notes, not asking questions or interacting with her in any way. Ellis used what Sonny calls her 'bitch boss' voice and asked if he was going to be able to handle doing his job. She said, "Bravo Six. Are we going to be able to count on you to do your job when this op is greenlit?"

"She what?" Jason said. Even through the phone Trent it was clear their boss was livid.

"Yup. Clay was first shocked. Then he looked like he was frozen and didn't know what to say. And we all know he's never like that when he's in Tier One mode," Trent went on. "Then she said that she was asking him a direct question and if he couldn't answer, he didn't belong in her briefing. I thought Sonny was going to come out of his chair, take the kid and leave."

Jason couldn't even talk, he was so livid. Trent understood his silence and was relieved he had pulled over and wasn't driving. He knew his boss would be going 100 miles an hour to get back to his kid.

"At that point, Ray shut her down. He was professional, but everyone in the room knew he was not impressed with her attitude. He told Ellis that everyone on Bravo was capable and ready to do their jobs at any time. He said that if she felt another team was more suited to this op, to 'let us know and we will get back to our training schedule.'" Trent paused to let Jason digest that.

"Before she had a chance to respond, Clay decided to open his big mouth and weigh in," Trent said.

"Wonderful," Jason said bitingly.

"He was in total fight mode, which he only goes to when cornered," Trent said. "He decided a sarcastic teenager's response was the best option for the situation. He gave her that smile you want to smack off his face when he's about to push buttons. Told her, and I quote, 'I'm perfectly ready to do anything you need me to do for you at any time Ms. Ellis. I know it's probably frustrating not being allowed to try to do it yourself.'"

"That was helpful," Jason added, leaning back and shaking his head.

Trent laughed. "He silenced the room. I thought Ellis' head was going to literally explode like a Saturday morning cartoon. I pinched his arm like a mom in church when she is letting you know you are in deep shit when she gets you alone. He still has the bruise."

Jason chuckled, "Bet that shut him up, coming from you. Uncle Trent never loses his cool."

"Sure did. He was out of line and he knew it. Blackburn ended the meeting. Took Clay aside and reamed him out. But being that he has a huge soft spot for the kid, he sounded more like disappointed school principal than pissed off Navy Captain," Trent went on.

"Clay was deflated and probably fretting about our impending 'discussion' when Ellis decided to confront him again. He was attached to my side, waiting to head out, when she came over, ignored me and addressed him face to face. The kid wasn't holding onto my shirt, but he wanted to. Still in bitch boss mode, she got right in his face and said, 'When Jason hears about your unprofessional, childish behavior today, you are going to be in serious trouble.'"

"How did he react to that?" Jason asked.

"He was visibly upset, but unlike Blackburn, she was not swayed by his demeanor or his age," Trent responded.

He went on. "I was polite because I didn't want Clay thinking I was in any way on board with him disrespecting an adult or a woman. But I was also pissed off that she thought she could pull that shit with our kid. I wanted Clay to see how to talk calmly, and respectfully stand your ground, even when you are angry. I told her that you were on leave and, until you returned, if she had any concerns about the capability of Bravo to handle any mission, she should address them with Bravo Two outside of the briefing. Then I put my arm around him to let them both know where I stood and walked him back to the cages."

"What the fuck?" Jason wondered out loud to his brother.

"I don't know, Jase," Trent said. "But we both know there is zero chance she would go after anyone on Bravo, especially your underaged rookie, if you were in that room. She took Ray and the rest of us totally off guard. And Blackburn was also shocked and not impressed based on his reaction to her the next morning when I marched the kid over to apologize for the disrespect."

"What happened the next morning," Jason asked.

'

"Apparently, Ellis thought she'd go for another round with the kid," Trent explained.

"Clay was anxious and quiet the next day. He was tired from tossing and turning all night, not able to get comfortable or rest. Judging by the redness level of his ass when I finished with him, and the way he was trying to mimic a statue in the passenger seat on the way into base, it was not a pleasant ride for him," Trent said.

"He was also way more nervous than a trip to apologize to a woman with no authority over him would warrant. He asked me to go with him because he didn't know what to say to her. I told him to say, 'I'm sorry for being disrespectful, it won't happen again', and call it a day," Trent continued.

"Did he do okay?" Jason asked.

"He was fine," Trent said. "Well, not fine. He was a nervous wreck and didn't know how to approach her. Blackburn was there in the office, and he wasn't upset with the kid so that helped. But Jase, we forget that Clay never had any of the entry level military experience other kids get when they gradually learn the ins and outs of different ranks and personnel. How to talk to superiors and who is in charge in different settings. He should be starting eleventh grade right now, and in work situations we expect him to just know what to do and how to behave with everyone from support staff to high level brass to people like Ellis from different agencies or departments."

"You're right, Trent," Jason admitted. "I never really thought about it because we have been focused on keeping him alive and getting him sorted emotionally. He was a child, completely alone in the world, who went from rural Africa to years of foster care in the states to Navy Seal on his own in a dorm room to Tier One sniper who is also expected to translate and speak multiple languages. It's insane to think any kid can just handle that. It's no wonder he's anxious and having crazy dreams."

"Exactly, Boss," Trent said. "And if Bravo, and Blackburn and Adam and the guys from other teams, including support members can interact with him, recognizing and understanding that he's still a kid regardless of his tier status, how is it possible someone as smart as Ellis who has risen to her level in the CIA is having these issues with him? Shit, even the infirmary staff and the corporal who runs the cafeteria who won't let him drink Mountain Dew for breakfast and sneaks him those brownies with the sprinkles if he eats his vegetables know a kid when they see one and treat him like they would any other kid they know. Why is this a problem for Ellis and no one else?"

"I don't know, Trent," Jason said, pulling back out on the road now that he was feeling reasonably calm and able to talk and drive. "But, believe me when I say I am going to get to the bottom of this. And we are going to get Clay back on the right track. He's made huge progress. I'm not letting him backslide over some kind of misunderstanding or personality conflict."

"So what did she say to him when he apologized?" Jason asked.

"Not what I would have expected, Jase," Trent said, knowing his friend would not be happy. "The kid stood fidgeting in front of her desk, clearly unsure of himself. He said exactly what I told him to say, and he was polite and respectful."

"And?" Jason prompted.

"And she first ignored him. Then she acted like he was an annoyance. Eventually, she asked him why he was in her office. He apologized as practiced. Ellis' response was to tell him he should be sorry. Then she brought up you again and asked if you had been told he was behaving like a child in the briefing," Trent explained. "Clay was hurt because we both know the last thing he wants is to disappoint you."

"Mandy knows it too. She's acknowledged that with me before," Jason said with an edge Trent could hear in his voice.

"Blackburn also knows," Trent continued. "He stepped in when he saw Clay's reaction and told her the kid had apologized and we were all moving on. He reminded her that you were on leave and that I was dealing with Clay and could handle any issues." Trent stopped to take a calming breath that Jason could hear even over the phone.

"Boss, I was pissed. And you know it takes a lot to get me really pissed," Trent started. "Do you know what she had the nerve to say to Blackburn?"

"No, buddy. I don't," Jason said calmly. "But, I'm guessing from how you sound right now that her response was not what you thought it should be."

"Ellis said that I obviously did not have things handled or the tier one operator would not be behaving like a spoiled child," Trent growled. "The kid looked like she had just slapped him across the face. Blackburn was not happy. And Jason, if she had been a guy, I would have pulled a Sonny and knocked her on her ass, I was so mad."

"I bet you were. I would have been too, but I'm sure you handled it much better and more professionally than I would have in your place," Jason responded.

"I did the best I could. I cut Blackburn off and sent Clay to wait in the hall for me," Trent explained, calming down. "Then I told her the tier one operator is in fact a child. And she should be aware since she was in on Ash's scheme from the start and lied to us all for months endangering Clay and the entire team. Then, I ignored her completely and asked Blackburn if she's joined the Navy, been promoted to officer and boss, and I somehow missed the memo."

Jason actually chuckled at that. "Bet that shut her up," he said.

"It did," Trent went on. "Blackburn took my side and told her she had zero authority and going forward should address all Bravo business to you and if you weren't available, to see him. Ellis was clearly shocked by my reaction. She tried to talk to me using her nice voice, but I ignored her. Went to get the kid and headed back to the cages. Haven't seen her since, but don't be surprised if you get an earful of how out of line I was with her when you get back to base."

"I look forward to hearing her spin on this," Jase said. "But Trent, you and I are on exactly the same page here."

"I was probably harsher than I needed to be, but I was also feeling guilty and mad at myself," Trent admitted.

"For what?" Jason sputtered. "You said and did exactly what needed to be done. And it sounds like both Ray and Blackburn were on point as well. Why in the hell would you be mad at yourself?"

Before Trent had a chance to answer, Jason jumped in again. He knew the medic well and suspected the reason for his unwarranted guilty feelings. "And don't even tell me you feel guilty for tearing up the brat's ass, Trent." Jason said.

When Trent was silent, Jason knew he had hit a nerve. "No way you are going to fret over that. You did exactly what you needed to do. And I'm sure the kid hollered and fussed like you were killing him just like he, and every other kid getting spanked, does in the moment. And I'm equally sure he is one hundred percent fine and over it now."

"Jase, he was extra pitiful this time. Sonny and Brock were appalled when Clay told them I wouldn't give him the frozen peas for his sore bottom. And Ellis did initiate the whole scene. Even you said she was out of line with him," Trent said.

"Brock takes it hard anytime the kid needs his butt warmed up because he's become his big brother and he loves him and doesn't want to see him upset. He knows we only punish him when he's earned it - I've heard him tell Clay he had it coming more than once when the kid has tried to whine to him," Jason said. "When my dad spanked my youngest brother I would go sit in my room with a pillow on my head to avoid hearing him cry. No decent big brother wants to see his little brother punished."

"And Sonny has turned into a giant marshmallow trying to pretend he's still a hard ass when it comes to his baby," Jason laughed. "I never thought I'd see the kid who could bring down The MIghty Quinn, but Sonny had literal tears in his eyes when I spanked the kid for purposefully being a royal pain in the ass at that barbeque. I only gave Clay half the thrashing he deserved because Sonny was so distraught."

"I know Jase, but Clay gets to me," Trent said. "It's hard to be the bad guy when he turns on the big, blue puppy eyes."

"Don't you go pushover on me Trent," Jason said. "You are the only one I can count on to back me up handling the hard parts with this kid. I don't like to be the bad guy either, but he has Brock, Sonny and Ray to indulge him. Not to mention Lisa, Katie, Derrick and his wife. My own two grown kids spoil and fuss over him. And Clay knows how to work the crowd for sure."

"I hear you, Jason," Trent sighed. "And you're right on this one. Regardless of Ellis cornering him, he had no business going back at her. He's smart, and he knew saying she wasn't allowed to do his job was a low blow at her being a woman. He's not old enough yet to really understand the obstacles someone like Mandy faces every day in the CIA and working with old school military men. He's a snot-nosed child, and he automatically gets more respect than her from men she has no choice but to deal with if she wants to advance in her career. That has to hurt someone as smart and career driven as she is."

"Yes," Jason agreed firmly. "He may not be mature enough to understand how his words can cause damage, but he is surely old enough to learn that actions have consequences. He knows very well that in my house, in my family and on my team, kids do not disrespect adults. Period. And he needs to learn that in the Navy and on any tier one SEAL team, there is an order of command." Jason shook his head in frustration despite knowing he was alone in the car.

"If he is going to have a career in the military, Clay needs to learn when and where to keep his smart mouth shut. And Wednesday it was your job to teach him that lesson the hard way. You gave the kid what he needed, and I have no doubt you also gave him all the hugs and explanations and reassurances that he is safe and loved no matter how much of a brat he may choose to be. Clay is probably not even old enough to realize or understand it yet, but he counts on the consistency you provide in his life. Alana was that for Emma and Mikey." Jason took a breath to prevent getting choked up thinking about the wife he lost.

"You know more than most anyone that my quick temper is something I continue to struggle to control. I know that my older kids had the same fears of me being mad or disappointed that Clay has because I allow my fear and concern to look like anger. And with his history, it's so much scarier for him. That's on me, and as much as I try, I might just be too old and crotchety to change at this point in my life," Jason admonished himself.

"But Trent," Jason continued. "Clay always knows where he stands with you. Your expectations are clear, and you don't let him manipulate any situation. You never lose your temper and he depends on that. The kid goes to you even when he knows he's done something wrong because whether it's to be scolded or held and comforted or listened to or a trip across your knee, he knows you love him unconditionally and will give him what he needs. When he's worried I'm going to be pissed off or yell at him, he looks for Uncle Trent because you never yell at him, and when you're pissed off, unlike me you don't show it."

"So you don't think he'll be permanently damaged from me spanking his ass until my hand stung like hell, and then denying him the relief of the magic frozen peas so he was unable to find a comfortable position to sleep and forced to reflect and regret his bad behavior all night?" Trent asked without expression.

"Nope," Jason laughed. "No harm, no foul."

"Okay, then," Trent said brightly. "I guess we can move on from that."

"From the spanking, definitely," Jason said seriously. "But this situation with Mandy and Clay definitely needs to be sorted. You are right about that."

"Well, Jase," Trent sighed. "I actually feel better having talked the whole thing out. It doesn't seem so dire as it did last night with Brock a nervous wreck. And Clay nursing an upset belly, cooking up crazy dreams."

"Yeah, sorry I dumped all that on you while I was enjoying being with my baby girl in the big city," Jason apologized. "But I have just crossed the Virginia state line, so I will be on base in a few hours to hopefully get this sorted out before any spin ups come our way."

"Speaking of the base, I need to shower and get in there myself," Trent said, stretching out the kinks from sitting and talking on the phone for so long. "I'm looking forward to an actual honest retelling of what your two youngest charges have been up to this morning."

"No theories?" Jason asked.

"Other than it's definitely not an exercise spree, I've got nothing," Trent admitted, before adding, "although Brock's positive attitude about the whole morning adventure makes me hope that whatever they are up to will shed some light on our Mandy-Clay situation."

"From your mouth to God's ear," Jason quipped. "I definitely don't want to tell Blackburn we need to break in a new CIA liaison. But if it turns out she's been doing something behind my back that is hurtful to our kid, you know she's done with Bravo."

"I totally agree, Boss. And so will the team," Trent said. "But the new light of day is making me hopeful that this may just be Clay's crazy imagination and deep seeded fears running up against a bitchy adult he can't relate to and can't charm like he has everybody else on base."

Jason chuckled, "Well let's hope your improved assessment of the situation is correct. Sorting out the kid's misunderstanding and putting a buffer zone between him and Mandy would be a lot less stressful than starting over with a new liaison."

"Yes, but plan on that buffer zone extending to Sonny and Brock as well," Trent laughed. "Post-spanking Thursday there was a whole lot of 'Wicked Witch Mandy' better back off our baby emotion being thrown around the cages. You can count on me and Ray to be reasonable adults moving forward. Sonny and Brock are going to be a harder sell."

"Awesome," Jason said sarcastically. "Okay, Trent. Good talk. We're on the same page. I'll see you in a few hours."

"Drive safe, Boss," Trent said, disconnecting the phone and heading to shower.

Clay was quiet on the drive downtown to where Dr. Jeff had his office. It was early, so not much traffic and Brock had time to stop at Starbucks to pick up caramel frappuccinos for him and the kid. The girl working the drive thru knew Brock and did some serious flirting with both him and Cerb. His canine partner shamelessly stuck his head out the back window to schmooze with the drive thru staff and score an extra dog treat.

Once they arrived in the parking lot of the three story medical building, Clay finally started talking. They were a few minutes early, but Dr. Jeff had emailed Clay to say he was his only early appointment so he should come right in when he arrived.

"Dr. Jeff said I should just come up. I'm his only early appointment," Clay said, looking at Brock for direction.

Brock was feeling out of his element. Taking kids to doctor appointments was not something he did, ever. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do, and he was beginning to regret letting his little brother talk him into not looping in Trent on this. Trent would most definitely know what to do.

"Okay," Brock said, trying not to sound clueless, but then deciding he might as well just tell Clay he was clueless. "So, I've never really done this before. What do you usually do when Jason brings you here?"

"We usually go up to Dr. Jeff's office on the third floor. We check in with his receptionist and then he comes out and calls us back. But because it's early, I don't think the receptionist will be there, so he'll probably just come out," Clay said, shrugging.

"Jason goes in with you?" Brock asked, considering how to speed dial Trent without tipping off the kid.

"He goes back with me because Dr. Jeff likes to talk to us together for a few minutes. He usually just asks how things are going and has small talk with us. He was in the Marines and he's old - like older than Jase and Trent - so sometimes they talk about military stuff. Then Jason waits for me in the waiting room," Clay explained.

"So, do you want me to come with you?" Brock asked. "Will he be okay with Cerb coming in, you think?"

"Trent goes with me when he brings me," Clay said. "But if you don't want to come, I guess I can go alone." Clay offered. Clearly not wanting to go alone.

Brock pulled himself together. "I'll do whatever you want, Squirt," he said, putting his hand on the kid's head. "If Jason and Trent go, and you are comfortable with me being there, then I'll go. If you'd rather me wait in the car, I can do that too. It's your call."

"I want you to come. Dr. Jeff is really nice. You'll like him, and I've never gone alone," Clay said.

"Okay," Brock said, trying to sound confident. "Then let's go."

After leashing Cerb, they walked into the building and took the elevator to the third floor. It felt weird because the building was pretty much empty, and Clay was used to having a lot of people coming and going. When they entered Dr. Jeff's office, he came right out to the waiting room to meet them. If he was surprised to see Brock and Cerb instead of Jason, he didn't let it show.

"Hey Clay," he greeted him. "You brought some new friends with you today I see."

"Um, yeah," Clay hesitated. "I hope it's okay I came in like this. This is Brock. He's my big brother from my team. He's our dog handler."

Brock could see the kid was nervous and rethinking his decision to show how grown up he was by scheduling this appointment solo. Clay was rambling which was a clear sign he was anxious. Channeling Trent, Brock put his hand on his little brother's back and rubbed slow circles to help ground and calm him down.

Jeffrey Michaels, Dr. Jeff to his young patients, observed quietly, taking in the younger boy's uneasy appearance and the older kid's open attempt to calm him with no hesitation or concern for what the doctor might be thinking.

Handing Cerb's leash to Clay, Brock reached out to shake the doctor's hand firmly. "Nice to meet you, Doc," he said, smiling. "Is it okay for Cerb to be up here? I can put him in the car if it's a problem."

"He's a trained military dog," Clay said quickly. "He won't bite or anything."

Jeff smiled at both boys. "I'm sure he's a great dog, Clay," he said gently. "Cerb is welcome to join us."

Brock took in the older man's demeanor and the way he soothed the kid with his tone of voice and immediately decided he liked this guy.

"So, Dr. Jeff," Brock started. "Since this is my first time here with Clay, and he's used to coming here with Jason or Trent, maybe you can just tell us what we should do. Because you may have guessed, I'm pretty much clueless, and Clay is used to having someone who knows what they're doing here with him."

Jeff laughed. "Okay, guys," he said. "There is nothing to be nervous about here. How about we all go have a seat in my office. Cerb too. And we can all talk for a few minutes about what brings you here today. Then if it's okay with Clay, he and I will talk alone for a while about how he's feeling before he comes back out to meet you here in the waiting room. Is that good for you boys?"

Clay looked to Brock who nodded. "Yeah, sounds good to me," he said. "Okay, Shorty?"

Clay nodded, looking relieved. "Yeah. That's how it usually goes when Jason is with me."

Once they were seated in the office on Dr. Jeff's comfortable couch. The older man got the conversation going, wondering why Jason wasn't with them. He directed his questions toward Clay as he usually did.

"So, no dad or Uncle Trent. And I noticed you emailed me about coming in today, and not Jason. What's up, Kiddo?" Jeff said kindly.

"Well, Dr. Jeff," Clay said, not making eye contact. "Jason is on his way back from New York. He was visiting his daughter, and he won't be home until later today."

Jeff nodded, "So your sister lives in New York? In the city or upstate? I'm originally from Buffalo."

Brock noted that he referred to Emma as Clay's sister and not Jason's daughter which told him the doctor was reinforcing that Clay was part of Jason's family. He also approved of him using 'dad' and 'Uncle Trent', again letting Clay know he saw them as the kid's family and not simply teammates.

"She's in the city," Clay said, starting to relax at the easy questioning. "I didn't know you were from Buffalo. Why did you come here?"

"I visited Virginia Beach several years ago, and I loved the weather and being near the ocean. A colleague told me about a job opportunity available, so I decided to try something new."

"You like it here?" Clay asked.

"I do," Jeff answered. "How about you? Do you like this area?"

Clay shrugged. "I've only ever lived here and Africa when I was little. It's nice here, I guess. Bravo is here, and I need to be with them. I don't have anywhere else to go."

"You've told me that before, Clay," Jeff said gently. "I know you love your team very much and they take good care of you. I can see that."

"The feeling is mutual," Brock spoke for the first time since sitting down. "We all love Clay. He's part of our family now. And family is forever."

"You think?" Clay said, turning to look at Brock.

"I know," Brock returned confidently.

Jeff was curious about what brought the kid in without either Jason who usually came in with him, or Trent who had stood in for Jason on a few occasions when Clay's guardian was not available. He had talked with both older men about Clay's abandonments and insecurities, and he wondered if that was what had prompted the emergency visit.

"Is there something specific you wanted to talk about today, Clay?" Jeff asked.

"Um, yeah. There's a problem I've been having. I don't really know what to do about it, and I was thinking maybe you could help me figure it out," Clay said quietly, reaching out to hold the edge of Brock's shirt.

"Okay, Kiddo," Jeff said calmly. "How about you tell me about what's worrying you?"

"Should I wait outside?" Brock asked, moving to stand.

"You don't have to go Brock," Clay said, not letting go of his shirt.

Brock looked over at Dr. Jeff for backup on what he was supposed to do.

"It's up to you Clay," Jeff said. "Do you want Brock to stay?"

Clay nodded. "Will you stay, Brock? I know I promised to talk to Trent after and I'm scared to do it alone. If you stay, you will know everything and you can tell him."

Clay was getting worked up. Jeff had never seen him upset, and he wanted him to calm down so he could get a better handle on the situation. "Okay, Clay," Jeff started. "If Brock is comfortable staying to talk, that's fine. But I want you to calm down and take a breath for me."

Clay held tight to Brock's shirt and tried to settle his breathing.

Brock put his hand on the back of the kid's neck and squeezed softly offering support. "Relax, honey," he soothed. "We're here to talk and sort this out. Remember, you told me Dr. Jeff helps you figure things out. I'll stay if that's what you want. You know I will never leave you alone when you're scared. And I will talk to Trent with you, but you know that you never need to be scared to go to Trent or Jason with anything. No matter how bad you think it might be."

Jeff stayed quiet, watching the big brother slowly settle down the younger boy. He was surprised to hear Clay talk about being scared to face Trent. He had always talked about Trent as someone he loved and depended on for care and protection when he was scared.

"Okay, Clay," Jeff said calmly. "How about we take a step back? Can you tell me why you reached out for the emergency visit?"

"I don't know how to start," Clay said, looking back at Brock for support.

"Brock," Jeff turned to him as well. "Can you help Clay out here? Do you know why he needed to see me today?"

"Well," Brock said. "There's been a lot going on at work. Two days ago, we had a briefing with our CIA contact. Her name is Mandy. She and Clay had I guess you could call it a confrontation. She got aggressive with Clay, and he was disrespectful back to her, which is absolutely not allowed."

"Okay," Jeff said. "Is that the way you remember it Clay?"

Clay nodded. "Yes. I was disrespectful and later at home Trent punished me, and I had to apologize to her."

"How did you feel about getting punished?" Jeff asked.

"Not good," Clay said. "I mean, no one wants to get punished. And I guess I was kind of mad because she started it, and I think she maybe doesn't like me and wants me to get in trouble with Jason."

"Trent punished you, not Jason?" Jeff clarified.

Clay nodded. "Jason was in New York and I'm staying with Trent, so he's in charge".

"Okay," Jeff continued. "So you are angry with Trent?"

"I was on Wednesday. A little I guess. I don't know if I was angry. I guess I just felt bad that Trent was disappointed in me," Clay said. "Trent doesn't usually get disappointed in me."

Brock kept his mouth shut, because hearing the kid talk to this doctor was giving him a whole new perspective on this situation.

"What makes you think Trent is disappointed in you?" Jeff questioned.

"He told me. After we got home from the briefing, he said even though Mandy started the confrontation, I was wrong to be rude and disrespectful because she's an adult," Clay explained. "Then I asked if he was mad at me, and he said he wasn't mad, but he was disappointed that I acted like that because I know better."

"Do you think it's possible your uncle was disappointed that you made a bad choice because he knows you can do better?" Jeff asked.

"Yes, I guess that's what he was saying," Clay agreed.

"Do you think it's possible Trent isn't disappointed in you as a person? That maybe he was disappointed in the choice you made in that one moment," Jeff suggested.

"I guess so," Clay said.

"Do you feel like he's still upset about your choice today?" Jeff asked.

"No," Clay said. "He and Jason both said that I did something I knew was wrong. I was punished, and now it's over and we're moving on."

"Do you think they are not being truthful with you?" Jeff asked.

"No. I believe they are over it and not disappointed anymore," Clay said.

"So, do you still feel bad about being punished?" Jeff questioned.

"No. I guess I'm over it. I mean my butt hasn't hurt for a while, and now I know no one is mad at me or still disappointed," Clay shrugged.

Jeff chuckled. "Well I guess not having a sore butt makes moving on easier."

Clay smiled. "Yeah. I guess so."

"So am I hearing that you are not mad at Trent, but upset with Mandy because you feel like it's her fault Trent was disappointed in your choice and punished you. Am I hearing you correctly?" Jeff asked.

"Yes." Clay said.

"Did you come to see me because you want to talk about Mandy?" Jeff asked.

Clay nodded, looking over at Brock.

"Is there something else I need to know, Clay?" Jeff said, looking at both him and Brock.

"Everybody wants me to talk about Mandy, but I'm scared," Clay admitted softly.

"Are you scared to talk to me?" Jeff asked.

"I'm scared of different things," Clay said.

"Can you tell me one thing that is scaring you?" Jeff said gently.

"I'm scared no one will believe me," Clay said softly.

"Okay, Clay," Jeff said, handing him a piece of paper and a pen. "Can you write that down so we can get back to it later?"

"You want me to make a list?" Clay asked unsure what to write.

"Sure," Jeff said. "Let's make a list of the scary things, so we don't forget anything. And then we can go back and try to figure out how to make you feel safe. Can we try that?"

Clay nodded and wrote:

I'm scared no one will believe me.

"Great," Jeff said. "What else is scaring you?"

"I'm scared everyone will be mad at me," Clay said.

"You think I will be mad?" Jeff asked.

Clay smiled. "Well, no not you."

"So not everyone," Jeff said. "Can you be more specific?"

When Clay was quiet, Jeff asked, "Do you think Brock will be mad at you?"

Clay shook his head. "Brock doesn't really get mad at me," he said.

"So who are we talking about here, Kiddo?" Jeff asked. "Trent?"

"No," Clay said, his voice wavering.

Brock reached over and stroked his hair. "Just say it, honey. We can't solve it if we don't know the problem."

"Jason," he said, a tear falling. "I'm scared Jason will be mad at me."

Jeff squeezed his knee and handed him a tissue. "Can you write it down?"

Clay nodded and added it to the list.

I'm scared Jason will be mad at me.

"Do you think if Jason is mad he will punish you?" Jeff asked gently.

Brock held his breath, afraid where this conversation might be heading. He kept his mouth shut because he knew if he intervened it would seem like he was trying to hide something or keep Clay from talking. And he knew Jason would never hurt his kid.

"No," Clay said honestly. "A lot of my foster dads and the man in Africa at the orphan camp hurt me and beat me when they were mad. But Jason has never punished me when he's mad. Well, he grounded me when he was mad. But Jason never spanked me when he was mad. Jason said he knows it's scary when your dad is spanking you because he's mad and he promised himself he would never spank his own kids when he was angry."

"Ok," Jeff said. "I'm glad to hear that because I agree it's scary to be spanked by someone out of control."

"What else is scaring you, Clay?" Jeff continued.

"I'm scared of being alone," Clay whispered, trying to hold back the tears.

Jeff handed him more tissues. "Can you write it?"

I'm scared to be alone.

"What else?" Jeff asked.

"I'm scared someday Jason won't want me anymore," Clay cried.

"Can you write it?" Jeff asked.

Clay shook his head. "I don't want to write it. Do I have to?"

"Why don't you want to write it?" Jeff asked.

"Because I don't want to talk about it later," Clay cried. "I can't think about that."

"Okay, Clay," Jeff soothed. "You don't need to write it. It was brave of you to say it out loud. I'm proud of you, Kiddo."

Clay just sniffled, leaning into Brock who put his arm around him and kissed the top of his head. "I'm proud of you too, Squirt."

"I think there's maybe one more scary thing, Clay," Jeff said. "I think it's the reason you came to see me. Can you say it outloud?"

Clay nodded and whispered, "I'm scared Mandy wants to get rid of me."

"Are you scared she wants to send you away somewhere?" Jeff asked.

Clay shook his head.

"I'm scared Mandy wants to kill me," he said softly.

Brock did not see that coming. He looked at Dr. Jeff over Clay's head which he was now hiding under his arm. He shook his head at the doctor's questioning expression and mouthed silently "No way."

Jeff nodded at Brock. "Can you write it down Clay?"

Clay sat up and wrote:

I'm scared Mandy wants to kill me.

Trent had just pulled into the parking lot on base when Brock's name came up on his phone. He answered right away. "What's up Brock?"

"We have a situation, Trent," the younger man said, sounding flustered.

"What kind of situation, Brock?" Trent asked. "Are you and Clay alright?"

"Yeah, we're fine, but I need you to come down here" Brock said, trying and failing to sound calm.

"Down where?" Trent asked. "Where are you?"

"Downtown at the office of Clay's shrink," he told his brother.

"What?" Trent said, surprised. "You're at Dr. Jeff's office? Why?"

"It's a long story, Trent," Brock started. "The short version is the kid told me he needed to talk things out with the Doc before telling the team about his Mandy problem."

"Why wouldn't you just tell me that instead of making up the whole running thing?" Trent asked. "I would have taken the kid to see the doctor."

"I know that Trent," Brock said, sounding frustrated. "But the kid was on a mission to prove to you and Jason that he's not a baby and can do things on his own. He made the appointment and asked me to drive him down here and not tell you. He promised to come clean after we got back to base."

"Okay," Trent hesitated. "That all sounds fine. So what went wrong that you need me down there?"

"Trent," Brock started. "Even you aren't going to believe this one."

Trent had already turned the truck around and was driving off base to get to his kids. "Just tell me, Brock," Trent ordered. "I want to know what to expect when I get there. And where is Clay now?"

"He's in the office with the doctor." Brock said. "I came out to the waiting room to call you. Dr. Jeff says we need an adult guardian here since Clay is a minor. He asked me to call you since Jason isn't back yet and he says you are on the hipaa form to be able to discuss and receive information about the kid."

Trent took a breath, trying to stay calm, but worried that something was wrong with his kid. "Seriously, Brock," Trent said. "You are going to give me a stroke if you don't tell me what is going on with Clay."

"We were in the office and Clay was spilling all kinds of information to the doctor. He was trying to get the kid to say why he needed the emergency appointment. Clay told him that he was scared of a lot of different things," Brock explained. "The doc had him write a list of the scary things. Nothing we haven't heard. Scared we won't believe him. Scared Jason is mad at him. Scared of being alone."

"Yeah," Trent said. "Nothing new there. What went wrong?"

"The kid started to lose it when he said 'scared someday Jason won't want him anymore'," Brock said. "That's when the waterworks started, and Clay refused to write it down because he said he couldn't think or talk about that. The Doc said he didn't need to write it and pushed him to tell what made him ask for the emergency appointment today."

Brock paused. "Trent you aren't going to believe what he told the Doc."

"Brock," Trent said,slowly, "If you don't tell me what the fuck is going on, I'm going to snap with you. And I never snap."

"Okay, Trent," he said. "I'm getting to it. Calm down."

"Get to it now, Brock," Trent growled.

"Clay told the Doc he's scared of Mandy, which we already knew," Brock started. "But what we didn't know is that apparently the kid has decided that Mandy wants to kill him."

Trent was actually speechless for several seconds.

"What?" he sputtered. "Are you serious Brock? He told Dr. Jeff that Mandy Ellis, our CIA liaison, wants to kill him?"

"Yes," Brock confirmed.

"How the fuck did he come up with that theory?" Trent asked.

Brock laughed. "I don't know Trent. But the kid is a mess. He really thinks Ellis wants him dead."

"This isn't funny, Brock," Trent snapped. "How did the doctor react?"

"Come on, Trent," Brock was cracking up. "You have to admit this is entertaining. Do you think we can call NCIS and have her arrested? Sonny is going to love this."

"Brock, if you don't pull yourself together and start acting like you have half a brain, I swear I will take Clay's spanking spoon and beat your ass with it," Trent yelled before hanging up on his little brother.

When Brock's name came back up on his phone, Trent ignored him. The medic could see why Brock found the idea of Ellis trying to kill a seventeen-year-old kid ridiculous to the point of being funny, but he also knew this could turn into a problem if they weren't careful. The fact that Clay's doctor wanted an adult guardian down in his office right away told Trent that he was not taking this lightly.

Trent knew medical and mental health protocol well enough to understand that while Clay's doctor probably realized the kid wasn't in any real danger, he was still a mandated reporter. Clay was a minor who just reported to a medical professional that he feared an adult was trying to kill him.

Trent had talked several times with Dr. Jeff and if he didn't trust the guy knew what he was doing, the medic would not have allowed Clay to see him. He was sure the doctor wanted him in his office so they could sort out what was real and what was Clay's imagination so he could make a decision about making a report to Child Protective Services. That would immediately trigger police involvement - both civilian and military. That kind of accusation could impact the careers of both Mandy and Clay.

As soon as he arrived in the parking lot, Trent called Jason.

"Holy shit," Jason said, shocked at what Trent reported.

"Yeah Boss. I know," Trent said. "I'm on my way into the office now. I will do my best to get the kid settled and hopefully diffuse this situation before any official reports are made. I haven't seen or talked to Clay. Brock pissed me off, so I hung up on him, but I'm sure he's up there trying to reign this in as well."

"Okay, Trent," Jase said calmly, going into Master Chief mode. "Send Brock back to base. Tell him the story is the kid is sick with the flu and a fever. You are staying home with him today because I'm not back yet. I'm going to call Ray now and update him. Make Brock understand this is no joke. This does not leave Bravo until we have a handle on it. No one knows anything other than Clay is sick and I'm on my way home."

"Are you going to tell Blackburn?" Trent asked.

"I'm only two hours out. I'm coming straight there to you and Clay. I'll meet with Blackburn after we both talk to the doctor," Jason said. "Let the Doc know I'm on my way and do what you can to avoid any kind of reporting until I get there. I think he's a reasonable guy. He was a Marine, so he knows this is a huge deal once he makes a report. I think he also has a good handle on Clay and won't blow this out of proportion unnecessarily."

"Okay, Jase," Trent said. "I want to go up there now and get eyes on Clay. Brock said he had worked himself into a state, and I want to calm him down so we can walk through how he decided Ellis was trying to take him out. We all know that's ridiculous, but obviously the kid is upset. You know, he's my first priority."

"I know, Trent," Jason said. "Clay is my first priority too, but I also need to be sure Mandy doesn't get caught in the crossfire from one of our kid's emotional meltdowns. I know I can count on you to always have the kid's back."

"Copy that, Boss," Trent said. "I'll see you soon."

When Trent entered the office, the receptionist had arrived. Dr. Jeff had her rescheduling his morning patients to the afternoon. He normally only worked mornings on Fridays, but he wasn't going to allow Clay to leave the office without first assuring that the boy wasn't in danger. His instinct and more than thirty years experience working with children and adolescents told him that Clay was misunderstanding the situation, but he had a legal and ethical obligation to report abuse. Clay was currently in an agitated and emotional state. Jeff wanted to see if the boy could be calmed down so that he could get reliable information before making a decision on how to proceed.

The receptionist called back to let the doctor know Clay's uncle had arrived, and Brock came out to meet him in the waiting room.

"Have you calmed down, Trent?" Brock asked. "I can't believe you hung up on me."

"Well, believe it," Trent said back. He pulled the kid aside, away from where the receptionist was making calls. "How is Clay now?"

"Worked up, but trying to hold it together. He wants you as always," Brock said. "But Trent, be prepared that he's going to break down when he sees you and knows he's safe and you are here with him."

Trent nodded. "I'm going to try to calm him down and see if he can explain how exactly he came to the conclusion that Mandy has gone from all business, anal retentive, control freak to homicidal child killer in the last week."

When Brock started to lose it again, Trent smacked him on the side of his head. Hard. "Ow, Trent!" he winced. "What the fuck is your problem?"

"Don't even start with me Brock," he said. "This is serious. And unless you want to join Sonny with permanent top of the boss' shit list status, you better get it together."

"Alright, alright," the younger SEAL said, rubbing the side of his head. "No wonder the kid marches like a soldier when you are around. Nate always said you had a mean streak."

"Damn straight, I do," Trent said calmly. "And don't you forget it." He paused, rubbing his hand over his eyes and shaking his head.

"Alright, Kid," Trent continued. "Jason wants you to head back to base and run interference before the chickens start cackling about why most of Bravo is MIA. He says the official story is that Clay is sick - flu with fever. I'm home taking care of him until Jason arrives sometime later this afternoon."

"What about Ray and Sonny?" Brock questioned.

"Boss is calling Ray and bringing him up to speed as we speak, so he and Sonny will be onboard," Trent said. "No one outside Bravo hears a word other than the official story. No one. Not Derrick, Metal, Lisa. No one, until Jase gets back and we sort this out with the Doc. And don't go anywhere near Ellis."

"I got it Trent," Brock started. "Clay is sick. You are babysitting. Jason is driving back and won't be here until later today. What about Blackburn?"

"Jason will be here in less than two hours now," Trent said. "He's coming straight here to get this sorted out and find out what this doctor is going to do. Then he's going to update Blackburn. So I would try to avoid him if possible, and just give him the official story if you can't. Jason will deal with any fallout once he's back and this is sorted."

"Got it," Brock said. "I'll get Cerb and head back now. And Trent. You can always count on me. I won't fuck this up."

Trent shook his head fondly at his little brother. Reaching out he gently rubbed the side of the kid's head he just smacked. "I know you won't fuck anything up. And I know I can count on you," he said. "Let's get in there before Clay tells this shrink Mandy is responsible for the Kennedy assassination. You need to get Cerb and go back to base. And I need to get our boy settled and sorted ASAP."

As soon as Trent walked into Dr. Jeff's office, Clay was on him. The kid had been sitting on the floor, leaning back against the couch with Cerb nestled up against him, offering comfort. The medic followed Brock into the room, shaking hands with Dr. Jeff and moving to sit on the couch next to his boy.

Dr. Jeff observed silently from his own chair facing the couch as Clay climbed up onto the couch next to his chosen comforter, disappearing under the older man's arm which Trent had immediately lifted, inviting him in. He wrapped the boy in his strong arms and held him protectively while Clay clung to the medic's chest in his go-to 'comfort and protect me now' position. Trent kissed the top of his baby's head and rocked him gently as the boy cried out his pent up fears into his favorite uncle's firm chest. It was obvious to the doctor that this position was not new to Clay.

Jeff was somewhat surprised by the hardened Navy SEAL's willingness to openly offer care and affection so easily in his presence. Brock had freely comforted and held the boy as well. The seasoned child psychiatrist could see that despite his myriad of childhood abuses and abandonments, this kid had somehow managed to land in a family where he was obviously cared for and loved.

The doctor had seen the same kind of gentle, loving interaction between Clay and his guardian and adopted father over the past few months. Getting this candid view of how this family circled around and protected their kid gave Jeff a different perspective from seeing Clay on his own, rambling, agitated and fearful just a few minutes before. His original instinct that the boy was confused and not in any danger was supported by what he had witnessed since Clay had arrived at his office with Brock and the dog by his side.

"It was nice to meet you, Doc," Brock said politely, shaking hands with the older man who looked to be in his late sixties, reminding him of his own father. "Now that Trent is here, Cerb and I need to get back to base so we can do some actual work before the boss gets back."

"It was nice to meet you, son," Dr. Jeff smiled, genuinely liking the polite young man.

Motioning Cerb to disentangle himself from his favorite kid, Brock crouched down in front of the couch and reached out to tousle his baby brother's unruly blond curls. "Alright, Squirt," he said. "Mom's here, so you are obviously in capable hands. Cerb and I will catch up with you guys later after Jason gets back."

Standing up and taking the dog's leash, Brock bent over to give the back of the kid's neck a gentle squeeze before turning and quickly kissing the top of his big brother's head. "Let me know if you need anything later, Trent."

"Don't worry, kid," he said quietly. "We are going to get Shorty here all sorted out and home for some lunch and a nap in his own bed this afternoon. Tell Sonny and Ray not to get overwrought. I'll text later."

Brock nodded and headed for the door. "Love you, Brock," the kid called quietly from under Trent's arm. "Thanks for coming with me today."

"Love you too, honey," Brock said. "You did the right thing coming to talk things out with Dr. Jeff. I think he's a keeper," he added, waving at Trent and Dr. Jeff on his way out the door.

After Brock left, the receptionist knocked and popped her head in to say she had moved around appointments, so Dr. Jeff's schedule was cleared until two that afternoon which was over four hours off. Jason would arrive before noon, so the two adult men in the room were hopeful they had plenty of time to get a handle on what was going on in Clay's head to make him think Ellis was trying to kill him. The thought of it was completely ridiculous to Trent, but he knew from experience that all of the kid's worst fears were partially rooted in real events. He intended to find out what led Clay to his current state, and Trent knew that Jason as well would be like a dog with a bone until their kid was back on a steady path once again.

Clay had stopped crying, but he was still attached to Trent's side. Jeff could see that the boy had relaxed significantly and was confident of his safety in the medic's presence. Trent made eye contact with the doctor, waiting to see how he intended to proceed.

Dr. Jeff cleared his throat, leaning forward and attempting to make eye contact with Clay. "How are you feeling now, Clay?" he asked.

When he didn't answer or return the eye contact, Trent used his firm voice. Gently detaching the kid from his side, he forced Clay to sit up and look at the doctor. The medic reached out and pulled a few tissues from the box the doctor had placed out on the table next to the couch.

"Sit up, Clay," Trent said, his voice making it clear he expected him to obey, which the kid did without complaint. "Did you hear the receptionist just say that Dr. Jeff cleared out his whole morning for us? He doesn't normally see patients on Friday afternoon, so that means he's also giving up his afternoon to see the kids who would normally be here in the morning. He's doing that to help you out, so I expect that you are going to do your part to be cooperative. Understood?"

"Yes, Trent," he said.

"If it is okay with Dr. Jeff, we can get started and Jason will be here in about ninety minutes to join us," Trent started. "And Clay, the Doc may not know us personally, but you most definitely know that I am not having any teenage nonsense and neither will Jason. Capice?"

Clay wiped his face, and blew his nose. He knew exactly what Trent was saying and what his surrogate uncle would and would not tolerate. "Yes," Clay said, looking up and making eye contact first with Trent and then the doctor. "I know Dr. Jeff is doing me a favor, and I get that you expect me to behave and cooperate."

"Look at me, honey," Trent said. When the kid complied, he continued with the gentle, but firm tone. "You are our kid, our family and we love you. So Dr. Jeff is doing us all a favor. And I know we can both count on you to be honest and upfront with us."

Clay nodded. "I will, Trent. I promise."

The no-nonsense aspect of Trent's interaction with Clay was more what the doctor expected based on his own past experience in the military. He expected the same attitude when Jason arrived. It was a very different dynamic than he usually witnessed with his patients and their parents, but Jeff felt that as long as the relationship did not involve abuse, which he did not suspect at all with this family, his job was to help his young patients cope with whatever their emotional issues may be and to try to understand and not judge their child-parent relationships.

"Okay, Clay," Jeff started. "I'm going to let you and your uncle know what I need for us to talk about today. I feel that it's necessary to have Trent's input to help me understand your relationship with the woman you mentioned earlier when you were making a list of the things that are scaring you right now."

Clay nodded that he was listening and understood what Dr. Jeff was saying to him.

"At some point, if you feel like you need to talk to me privately, we can take time to do that as well," the doctor offered. "Does that sound good to you?"

"Yes," Clay said. "But, I think I want Trent to stay with me."

"That's fine, too, Clay," Dr. Jeff smiled at him. "Do you feel comfortable sharing the list you made of scary things with Trent?"

"Yes. We can show Trent the list, but I'm guessing Brock already told him why you wanted him to come down to talk," Clay said.

"Does it bother you that Brock may have shared that information with Trent?" Dr. Jeff was curious how Clay would feel about the man he viewed as a big brother talking to his uncle figure about what the boy had told them earlier."

Clay shrugged indicating he didn't think it was a big deal. "No. I knew he would tell Trent and Trent would tell Jason. Sometimes it's easier for me if I tell Brock or Trent and they tell Jason and the other guys, so I don't have to talk about the hard things with everyone," Clay explained. "That's not why I convinced Brock to not tell Trent I made the emergency appointment."

"Why didn't you want Jason and me to know?" Trent asked, already knowing the answer from Brock. He wanted to see how the kid would respond. "You know I would have come with you, and if you had told Jason, he would have helped you set everything up."

"It doesn't matter now," Clay said. "It was stupid. I should have just told you. I think I put Brock over the edge dragging him into this and making him lie for me. Do you think he's mad, Trent? I promised him this wouldn't turn into a big mess, and now it did."

Jeff was silent, since Clay was not addressing him. He was again surprised by how honest and forthcoming the boy was with his older teammates. In his experience, most of his patients, particularly adolescent boys, were either silent and sullen, or openly hostile towards their parents when they were in a family session. As a professional who had worked with kids for his entire career, he found this dynamic between Clay and his adopted caregivers really interesting.

Trent looked at Dr. Jeff in order to confirm it was okay for him to respond since the kid had addressed him personally. When the doctor nodded, Trent reached out and squeezed the kid's knee to show his support.

"First of all," Trent started, "Brock is a big boy, and a highly trained tier one operator. You can not 'make' him lie or do anything else he doesn't choose to do himself. He is not mad or over the edge. Jason ordered him back to base because he and the rest of the guys have work to do there. Brock loves you, and he is worried like we all are that you are obviously scared and upset over whatever is happening between you and Mandy."

"Secondly," the medic continued, "nothing that worries or concerns you is stupid to me, and it absolutely matters. We are just talking, and nothing is a big mess that I know of. So, how about you tell me and Dr. Jeff why it was so important for you to do this without my help today."

Clay was quiet for a minute before answering. "I wanted to show Jason that I'm not a baby who needs to be coddled all the time. I thought if I set up the appointment with Dr. Jeff myself, he could help me figure out why Mandy hates me and then I could talk to you guys about it. I don't want Jason to think that I am a big burden he has to worry about all the time because he probably has other things to do than fix my messes all the time."

Trent put his arm around the kid and pulled him in for a side hug. "Kiddo, I am so proud of you. I don't think you realize how far you have come since the great truck heist as Sonny likes to call it. You aren't even officially seventeen yet, but you understood you had a complicated and scary problem, and instead of acting out and doing something crazy to force the grown ups to pay attention, you made a smart choice by coming to see Dr. Jeff for help. Not to mention that every day you handle a highly intense and stressful job that was most definitely not intended for someone your age. None of those things sound to me like the actions of a baby who needs to be coddled all the time."

"I have to agree with Uncle Trent on this one, Clay," Jeff interjected. "Recognizing that you need help and then figuring out how to seek out support rather than lashing out at others or doing something self-destructive is incredibly difficult even for many adults."

Jeff paused to let Clay digest the response from himself and his uncle before broaching what he knew would be a difficult topic.

"Clay," Jeff spoke calmly. "Can you explain to us why you are worried about Jason seeing you as a 'burden' I believe you said. I'm hearing that you need things from him as your dad that all kids look to the adults who care for them to provide. I'm confused how that makes you a burden to him."

Clay looked down at the carpet and subtly reached over to hold the edge of Trent's shirt. "I don't like talking about this," he said quietly.

"Why is that?" Dr. Jeff questioned.

"Because it makes me think about what would happen if Jason changed his mind about me. And I told you before that I can't think or talk about that, it's scary and hurts too much," Clay said softly.

"Okay, Clay," Dr. Jeff said easily. "Fair enough. I told you before that you didn't have to write that on the list, which I'm thinking means you took as we wouldn't have to talk about it. Is that right?"

Clay looked up and nodded at Dr. Jeff, before looking over at Trent to gauge his reaction. Taking his cue from the doctor, Trent smiled and gave the kid another squeeze without pushing the topic.

"Since you don't have a problem with Trent seeing your list, is it okay with you if we look at it together now?" Dr. Jeff questioned.

Visibly relieved that he wasn't forced to talk about what might happen if Jason decided he was more of a burden than he was worth, Clay nodded easily. "Sure. You can show him."

Taking the paper off his desk, Jeff handed the paper to Clay. "Actually Kiddo, how about you show him?"

Clay gave the paper to Trent, releasing his shirt, but sticking close to his side.

"So, can you tell me what this list is for Squirt?" Trent asked.

"When I was here with Brock earlier today, Dr. Jeff asked me to write down the things that were scaring me so that we could go back and talk about them all without forgetting anything important," Clay said, looking worn out. It was only just past eleven in the morning, but he felt like he hadn't slept for days.

"Okay," Trent said, nodding as he read the list. "Sounds like a plan."

When Clay didn't respond, Trent made eye contact with Dr. Jeff, hoping he would take the lead.

"You are a smart kid Clay," Dr. Jeff said, smiling gently at him. "I'm fairly confident that you already know which item on the list is the reason we are sitting here with Uncle Trent and Jason is on his way to us."

"I'm sorry," Clay said, his voice cracking. "I shouldn't have written that down. Is Jason mad, Trent?"

"Oh no," Trent said, wrapping his arm around the kid and pulling him in tight to his side. "None of that, now. You were absolutely right to come to Dr. Jeff to talk about this. And, sweetheart, I'm sorry you didn't feel like you could come to me because I thought you understood that you could tell me absolutely anything without fear." Trent paused, giving his kid another warm squeeze before continuing.

"Brock said that the day after the briefing with Ms. Ellis, you told him that you were afraid to talk to me or Jason about what you were feeling because we might not believe you," Trent said. "Is that true?"

Clay nodded, sniffling, but trying hard to hold it together. "I was afraid you would think I was crazy. So I wanted to talk to Dr. Jeff to see what he thinks I should do. Then I promised Brock I would come to you and Jason."

"Trent," Jeff said. "Do you still think Clay made a good decision coming down here to see me today."

"Absolutely," Trent said firmly. "Clay, I meant it when I said that you made a good choice to find help for yourself. I am so proud of you. But, I'm sorry that you didn't understand that I would never think you are crazy. And I will always believe you."

"You believe that Mandy might be trying to kill me?" Clay asked, looking Trent straight in the eye with a desperate expression the older man never wanted to see on his boy's face ever again. "You don't think I'm being crazy?"

Trent took a breath, praying for the right words to come to him.

"Clay, I do not think that you are crazy. I could never think that about you," Trent started.

"Do you think it's possible Mandy wants to kill me?" Clay broke in, asking again.

"Honey, I one hundred percent believe that you are telling the truth when you say that you think she's trying to kill you. I also believe that she has been acting in a way that I can't understand, and neither can Jason or the rest of the team. And we have known Mandy for many years, so if it seems strange to us, I fully understand why it is strange and even scary to you," Trent stopped and moved his hand to the side of his kid's face and began to gently rub his cheek which he knew calmed the kid.

"But I also know this is a really serious accusation, which is why Dr. Jeff asked me to come down here. And it's why Jason is on his way to us now," Trent spoke softly.

"You think I'm wrong?" Clay asked tiredly, resting the side of his head against Trent's chest and leaning into his gentle touch, seeking comfort.

"I think the four of us need to talk this out so you can let us know why you think she would try to hurt you. I think there must be something else besides her being aggressive at the briefing and snarky, accusing the team of coddling and babying you, in order for you to be afraid of her. We need to know everything so we can figure out together if she's really trying to kill you, or if some things are getting confused in your head," Trent said honestly, holding his breath to hear his kid's reaction.

Clay was quiet, still seeking and receiving comfort from his favorite uncle.

"Does what Trent is saying make sense to you, Clay?" Jeff asked calmly.

Clay nodded. "Yeah. I understand. I'm just glad you don't think I'm crazy or imagining things," he said, sounding half asleep leaning up against Trent.

"Honey, I would never think that. You don't ever need to be afraid that I won't believe you. And the same goes for Jason," Trent said.

"You think so?" Clay asked hopefully.

Trent moved his hand down to the kid's chin and gently tipped back his head so he could see his face. "I know so," he said confidently.

Nodding, Clay leaned his head back into the medic's chest. "I'm tired, Trent," he said, sounding physically and emotionally worn out.

"It's been a long, hard week, and he hasn't been sleeping well," Trent told the doctor who nodded his understanding.

"How long til Jason gets here?" Clay asked.

"Not much longer,"Trent answered. "About an hour."

"Have you eaten anything today, Kiddo?" Dr. Jeff questioned.

"Not yet," Clay said quietly. "I was supposed to get breakfast with Brock, but we never made it."

"Okay," Dr. Jeff said. "How about we take a break until your dad gets here? There's a donut shop downstairs, I'm going to run down and pick us up something to eat while we wait for Jason. That way you can lie down and rest on the couch, while Trent and I talk. I'll grab some coffee for us, and juice for you, Clay. How does that sound to you guys?"

"That sounds great," Trent said, addressing Jeff. "I think someone could use a nap and some OJ to power back up. I really appreciate you blowing up your whole Friday to help us out, Doc."

"No problem, Trent," Jeff said sincerely. "That's why I'm here. And if you haven't noticed, I am very partial to your kid."

Trent smiled, looking down at Clay who was completely zoned out, fighting hard to keep his eyes open while his chief comforter continued to stroke his cheek softly. "He has that effect on people," Trent sighed. "Well most people anyway."

"Hang out here and relax, Trent. I'll run downstairs and be back shortly," Jeff said, stretching. "There's a bathroom by the waiting room. My receptionist Michele is at the desk if you need anything. How do you and Jason take your coffee?"

"Black is fine with me. Jase takes cream," Trent said. "The kid may be passed out by the time you get back. He really has had a rough week with the fiasco at the briefing Wednesday and missing Jason. His stomach was acting up from being anxious and refusing to talk, and last night he had a pretty bad nightmare. It's been a lot."

"I can see he's exhausted. Don't try to keep him up if he's ready to rest for a while," Jeff said. The older man took a blanket out of his closet and tossed it on the chair for Clay. "I'd like to talk privately to you and Jason when he gets here, so just let him sleep and you can wake him after the three of us have a chance to talk candidly about what you think is going on here with your boy."

"Sounds like a plan, Doc," Trent agreed, continuing to stroke the kid's wild curls. "He's definitely on his way out."

After the doctor left, Trent stepped out into the waiting room area to use the bathroom and call Jason to update him and check on his ETA. He left the door open to the office where Clay was out like a light on the couch, stretched out and covered with the doctor's blanket.

Back on base, Bravos Two, Three and Six were running the drills Jason had left for them and trying to keep a low profile as per Bravo One's orders. Brock had told them everything he knew including Clay's fear that Ellis was out to get rid of him permanently. Ray had already warned both Sonny and Brock that Jason was having none of them making light of the situation. Brock had already gotten the message loud and clear from Trent, which he passed on to Sonny as well.

"He actually hit you?" Sonny asked while they were working out in the gym.

"Yes, Sonny," Brock sighed. "For the tenth time, he smacked me hard upside my head. I'm telling you that Trent is not seeing the humor in this situation."

"Why didn't you hit him back, you little pussy," Sonny laughed.

"Because I'm not suicidal, Sonny." Brock looked at him like he was insane. "Trent can kick my ass if he wants to, and I am not interested in a piece of that action."

"Oh stop your pissin' and moanin'," Sonny teased. "We all know that before Jason brought home the new baby you were Trent's favorite. He still loves you even though you have been replaced as number one in his heart. He wouldn't really hurt you."

"Have you actually met Trent, Sonny?" Brock scoffed. "There's no one he loves and fusses over more than the kid, so maybe you didn't notice the runt sleeping on his belly, shivering with his lips turning blue and his ass getting frostbit trying to numb the sting Trent put on his little ass over a whole day before. And that was with just his hand."

Ray laughed. "I agree that Trent can most definitely kick your ass, Brock," he said, adding more weight to his bar. "But, unlike the kid, I think you have outgrown a trip over your big brother's knee."

"Better safe than sorry, and I'm not taking any chances," Brock laughed. "He was so pissed off at me this morning, he threatened to beat my ass with the squirt's spanking spoon."

Sonny cracked up at that. "I'd sell tickets to that show Brock-o-lee," he chuckled, playfully swatting the younger man's ass.

A few minutes later when they were packing up to head for the showers, Derrick spotted them from across the gym and came over to chat.

"Blackburn has been stalking around looking for Bravo. Are you avoiding him for some reason?" he asked straight out. "And where are Trent and his shadow?"

"Bravo isn't avoiding anyone," Ray said. "We are right here, big as life. We've been outside all day running drills the boss left for us. He hasn't gotten back in yet, so we're hitting the showers and getting some lunch."

"When's Jason due back?" Derrick asked.

"Not sure," Ray said. "He wanted to spend as much time as possible with Emma, so I'm thinking since it's Friday, we probably won't see him until later tonight if at all."

"The kid is down with some kind of nasty stomach flu he picked up God knows where, so we're guessing the boss is heading straight to Trent's when he gets in to assess that literal shit and puke show," Brock said, sticking to the story as directed.

"Yeah, and I'm not going anywhere near that grubby little germ monger," Sonny added. "Trent can take care of him. He's apparently immune to Typhoid Clay."

"I have to agree with Sonny on this one," Ray added. "Naima will kill me if I carry home whatever it is Clay's got and my kids end up with the pukes n' shits."

"Trent's on nursing and clean-up duty?" Derrick asked.

"Yep," Ray confirmed.

Derrick laughed, "If Jason is smart, he'll just keep driving south right past Virginia until he hits sunny Florida."

It was just after noon when Jason arrived back in Virginia Beach and headed straight to Dr. Jeff's office. When he got up to the third floor, he found Trent and the doctor eating muffins and drinking coffee in Dr. Jeff's conference room. They were sharing war stories and looking unscathed, so Jason was hopeful that Trent had convinced the Doc not to make any kind of official reports.

"Hey Jase," Trent greeted his brother when Michele the receptionist led him to the conference room. "How was the drive back?"

"Long," Jason answered, shaking hands with Jeff. "Where's the kid?"

"Passed out in Dr. Jeff's office on the couch," Trent said, handing Jason a cup of coffee. "Sit down and take a load off, Boss. The kid is out like a light, and we need to talk before we get him up."

"He's sleeping at noon?" Jason asked, surprised. "Is he feeling okay?"

"He's exhausted, Jase," Trent said. "It's been a long ass week for everybody, but especially for Clay."

Jason sighed, sitting down and taking a drink of his coffee. "Since I don't see any cops or social workers, is it safe to assume no reports have been filed?"

Jeff laughed, "I'm as hopeful as you both that we can avoid a report. But I still need to get some clarity on what is going on between your boy and this woman. I know from our past discussions and what Clay has shared that you are familiar with his emotional ups and downs, but I have never seen him as anxious and upset as he was earlier today before he hit the wall and fell asleep."

"As I discussed with Trent before you got here, Jason, I think the three of us need to talk about this whole situation honestly," Jeff explained. "Clay being asleep gives us a chance to talk while your worn out kid gets some rest."

"I agree," Jason said firmly. "Until Trent called to tell me about Clay going off on Ellis at the briefing on Wednesday, I had no idea that any of this was brewing. I knew she was being bitchy to me and throwing snide comments about the way I have chosen to handle the kid, but I really thought if we just ignored it, she would get over it and move on. Clearly I misread this entire situation."

"You aren't the only one who didn't see this coming," Trent said. "I knew Brock and Clay were definitely up to something this morning. And I have been worried about the kid's level of anxiety this week, but when Brock called and told me Clay had accused Ellis of wanting to kill him, I was literally speechless."

"Did you really smack Brock?" Jason asked. "When I checked in with Ray after arriving back home, he said Brock pissed you off and you cracked him hard upside the head."

"Sure did," Trent admitted with no regret. " I told him this was not a joking matter and the kid decided it was a good idea to test my patience. So I gave him a good smack."

Jason laughed. "Well, I guess he'll think twice before testing your patience again."

"If he's smart, he will," Trent shrugged, reaching for another muffin.

"Okay," Jason said. "What do you need to know to avoid reporting this?" The Master Chief decided to just cut to the chase.

"In order to not report his accusation to Child Protective Services, I need to know that Clay is safe and not in danger of being physically hurt by this Ellis woman," Jeff started. "In addition, since he is clearly emotionally upset by whatever is going on between them, and he sought out my help on his own, I am not comfortable sending him home until we have at least talked about what is causing this fear all of a sudden." Jeff paused, looking at both men.

"Are you both comfortable with that?" he questioned. "Clay clearly adores you both and relies on your support and protection. If he senses that you might be upset with him, or you don't want him to talk to me about this, he will clam up immediately. That may seem like the easiest way to just ignore this and hope it sorts itself out, but I promise it will come back to bite you when his anxiety fueled nightmares, constipation and reckless behaviors increase."

Jason spoke up before Trent had a chance to respond which shocked the medic. His brother generally deferred to him in all things medical, particularly when it related to Clay.

"Doc," Jason said soberly. "I'm guessing that to you we probably seem like uneducated Alpha males who refuse to deal with our emotions and discipline the kid harshly when he steps out of line. And if I were in your position, I would likely think the same. But I promise you that when it comes to Clay and his well being, I am willing to do whatever it takes to get my kid healthy and secure. And I know that Trent and every other man on my team feels the same."

"Jason is absolutely right about that," Trent added. "We understand that the kid has had a horrible childhood filled with abuse, neglect and isolation that has left him justifiably terrified of abandonment. We will be honest with you and work with you to sort out this latest mess. And we will never allow anyone to hurt him. Not Ellis. Not his useless biological father. Not the Navy. And he will never be abandoned as long as any one of us is breathing."

"I one hundred percent believe that. After seeing Clay individually and together with each of you over the last few months, and today seeing him with Brock, I know that you all care deeply and are willing to give Clay everything that he needs physically and emotionally. I have never questioned that, and I apologize if suggesting that you might find it easier to ignore the situation made it seem like I question your understanding of the severity of the issue. It was not my intention," Jeff explained.

"Don't worry about it," Jason said nonchalantly. "We aren't easily offended. And I did just admit I had hoped ignoring this Mandy situation would make it go away."

"As far as me judging the way you discipline Clay, or thinking that you are too harsh with him, I was not suggesting that either," Jeff said. "My job with your boy is to help him navigate, understand and express his feelings in a healthy way. Unless Clay confided in me that he was being abused, or I witnessed something concerning, it is not part of what I do to judge your parenting skills. As you know, I was a Marine myself. My father was also a Marine, and nothing Clay has ever said to me about your expectations for his behavior or the consequences for unacceptable behavior is surprising or concerning to me."

"Well, that's good to hear," Jason said. "I'm raising Clay the same way I did my two older kids. I'm proud of the adults they have become, and there is nothing I want more than to see my youngest grow up to be a happy, well-adjusted adult. I'm also too old and set in my ways to become a different kind of parent at this point, so it's probably a good thing it's not on your to-do list to fix my child rearing skills."

Jeff laughed, "No, it's not on my to-do list. And definitely not my area of expertise as I don't have my own children or grandchildren, and stick strictly to spoiling my nieces and nephews."

"So, you're the fun uncle," Trent observed. "Clay has a giant ball of putty in his hands from Texas masquerading as a hard ass who fills that role in his life."

"I have heard quite a bit about Sonny from your kid, and he is definitely well-loved," Jeff said. "But, I hope you know Trent, that while you may not be the fun uncle, you are most definitely the favorite uncle. Clay talks about you all the time. He's made it obvious to me that he depends on you for everything when Jason isn't immediately available. I regularly hear about Sonny, Ray and Brock, but you are the only one he always calls 'My Uncle Trent'. And earlier today, when he was trying so hard not to lose it, he asked Brock several times if he had called you and repeated 'I want Trent.' Anytime your kid tells me about you helping him solve some issue or taking care of something for him, he almost always ends with 'I love my uncle Trent. He's the best.'"

Jason laughed knowingly. "Yeah, Doc. We get a lot of that too. And the kid is right about that one. We'd all be in a river of shit without this one," he said, indicating his medic. "He's my go-to fixer. And between him and Brock, they have saved Clay's ass at least a couple dozen times since the Navy basically left him on our collective doorstop and took off a year ago."

"Okay," Jeff said seriously. "Since I'm confident that Clay is safe and sound with you both, what is the story with this woman? And why does your boy, who I think we all can agree is amazingly perceptive for his age, have it in his head that she wants to kill him?"

Jason sighed, rubbing his eyes and thinking he wished this day were over. "Trent," he started, taking the lead. "Why don't you bring us both up to speed on what you have observed that I haven't between Mandy and the kid since the whole Liberia debacle."

Jeff interjected. "That sounds like a great idea," he said. "But, can you take a step back and give me a quick retelling of the 'Liberia debacle' from your perspective. Clay has mentioned you leaving him back from a mission to Liberia and him getting in 'big trouble' while you were gone, but that's about all I know."

"'Big Trouble' is an understatement," Jason said, shaking his head.

Trent explained. "The abridged version is that we discovered Clay was not only underage to be in the Navy, but four years younger than we had been led to believe. Jason as Master Chief and the kid's chosen guardian sought, and was granted in writing, from the Navy, permission to pull Clay from any mission at his own discretion until the kid is actually twenty, which is when his current Navy contract is up."

"Someone actually thought you would believe that child was twenty - almost a full year ago?" Jeff asked incredulously.

"I don't know if anyone expected us to believe it," Jason said. "But the people who set it up apparently assumed we wouldn't care enough about the kid to question or do anything about it."

Trent scoffed bitterly, "I guess they figured that no one else in his life to that point, including his useless excuse for a sperm donor, had done anything but abuse him, so why should Bravo be any different."

"Clearly, to say whoever came up with that plan misjudged your team, would be an understatement," Jeff said, shaking his head.

"Clearly," Jason and Trent repeated simultaneously.

"So," Trent continued. "Just before you started seeing him, Jason made the decision to leave Clay back from an op to Liberia because that's where he had lived first with his grandparents who were aid workers, and then on his own in a camp for orphans after they were murdered. It was obviously a scary and violent period in his early childhood, and we were concerned how he would react to being thrown back there on a mission."

"Perfectly reasonable decision made in his best interest," Jeff stated simply.

"Yeah, well not so much in the kid's view," Jason said. "And Mandy was royally pissed off at me as well since she had planned to use Clay's knowledge of the local dialects and customs on the mission."

"We left the kid with Brock's wife who has a younger brother Clay's age thinking we'd be gone for about a week," Trent explained. "Brock had encouraged a friendship between our kid and his little brother by marriage because we felt Clay was bored and lonely being stuck with adults all the time, not going to school, and having no friends his own age."

"Also a good idea, in my opinion," Jeff interjected.

"Well, things went to hell when we were gone much longer than expected," Jason said. "We were in rural Africa for three weeks, unable to make any contact with home, which as you probably aren't surprised, triggered Clay's abandonment fears and sent him into a full meltdown."

"We returned to find that after lying to and ditching Brock's wife, Clay, with no driver's license, took Jason's truck and decided to show him how bad he could be by filling the tank with diesel fuel," Trent said. "He then topped off his trail of destruction by breaking his only friend's nose when the kid tried to stop him."

"Well," Jeff said, chuckling. "I bet that showed you all that if you are going to get rid of him because you don't love him and he's no good, then he will just show you how bad he really can be."

"Congratulations, Dr. Jeff," Trent laughed. "You officially speak Clay."

"Oh, believe me guys," Jeff said. "Unfortunately, this is a language commonly used by panicked young boys in full fight mode."

"Let me guess," Jeff continued. "This meltdown was accompanied by some kind of fear driven medical issue that prompted his referral from the pediatric gastroenterologist in Norfolk."

"He didn't shit for the three weeks we were gone," Jason deadpanned.

"Yikes," Jeff winced.

"Yup," Trent agreed.

"So," Jeff said, taking a deep breath. "Back to this Mandy. You think keeping Clay back from this Liberia mission is what started whatever conflict there is between her and your boy?"

"Yes," Trent said. "I think that was the trigger. Mandy was one of the few people who knew about Clay's real age all along and kept it from us. She knows Jason well and has worked with Bravo for years. I believe Mandy knew we would never go along with putting a barely sixteen-year-old child on Bravo. Like Clay's manipulative father, she is smart. I think Mandy knew once we had become attached and protective of the kid, Jason would be forced to keep him, knowing the alternative was the Navy moving him to another tier one team less likely to ask questions."

"Mandy is extremely career driven," Jason added. "I think she was, and continues to be, pissed off at me for not allowing her to get what she wants from Clay with no parameters or questions asked."

Jason sighed, "I irresponsibly told Clay to just ignore her snide comments which most likely led to his snapping and getting disrespectful with her at the briefing while I was out of town and unable to keep them both corralled. Trent is right that I caused the kid to be stressed out and confused by expecting him to both ignore and respect her at the same time."

"Don't beat yourself up about it," Trent said. "You carry the weight of bringing every man on Bravo home safely from every mission. And you have become the protector, caregiver and only real father he's ever known to a just turning seventeen-year-old boy with piles of emotional baggage who is also your rookie, and it's now your responsibility to bring him home alive from shit-show warzones across the globe."

"Trent's right, Jason," Jeff said. "Cut yourself some slack. Very few single men with a highly stressful, dangerous job would be willing to take a kid with Clay's history and issues into their home and more importantly, you took him into your heart. And to also be basically scammed by the Navy to keep the same underage kid on your tier one SEAL team and take responsibility for his life and safety, is beyond terrifying and stressful."

"Mistakes and missteps are inevitable, Jase," Trent continued. "That's why you have me and the rest of our family to back you up with the kid. And this time, we all dropped the ball. You aren't the only one who should have seen that Clay would be confused about how to deal with Mandy's attitude."

"So, I'm a confused as well," Jeff said. "If you both see this woman directing her anger at Jason, when did that change to her going after Clay, which Trent you have said you witnessed her doing in this briefing."

"The briefing is the first time I personally witnessed her being outwardly combative and initiating conflict with the kid. And from Ray, Sonny and Blackburn's reactions, I believe they were equally taken off guard," Trent began. "But, in retrospect, everyone on the team, and even some other team guys, have heard her drop snide comments to Jason often when Clay is in the room."

"What do you mean by snide comments, Trent," Jeff asked.

"Anytime Mandy believes Jason or the team is being overly protective of Clay, she will accuse Jason of 'coddling' him. She's said on multiple occasions that Clay is acting like a 'baby' or 'child', and she's suggested not very subtly that he's not living up to expectations on the job," Trent said.

"So she's being passive aggressive to Clay," Jeff suggested. "Saying things she knows are hurtful to the kid in his presence, but not going after him directly because she understands that would not be tolerated by Jason or the team."

"Yes," Trent said. "I would say that is accurate."

"And you agree as well, Jason?" Jeff asked. "Or do you see it differently?"

"No, I think that is accurate," Jason agreed. "But, it's hard for me to imagine her engaging him directly like you are saying she did on Wednesday."

"I obviously believe you, Trent," Jason continued. "But she had to know you would tell me immediately. Mandy knows me. She must know I would never put up with her going after any member of Bravo, but especially not our underage rookie and a kid she knows I have taken in as my own."

"That's what I don't understand either, Boss," Trent said, shaking his head. "What the hell could she have been thinking?"

"Let me interject for a minute here," Jeff said. "Do you think it's possible that this woman misjudged your love and commitment to Clay? Is it possible that since you both say she has a connection to Jason and your team that goes back even before Clay was born, that she may think she can drive a wedge between the kid and you Jason?"

Jason scoffed, "It's hard for me to imagine because Mandy is smart. But if that is what she's thinking, she is one hundred percent out of her mind."

"Well, Jase," Trent said. "You've said it before that she works for the CIA, and they are all about the mind games. Maybe Ellis does think she can intimidate Clay and somehow get you to give her what she wants."

Trent thought for a minute before speaking again. "I will say, Doc, that I didn't think much of this at the time, but when I hauled the kid over to apologize for his behavior, the morning after I had punished him, Mandy was visibly surprised by my reaction to her."

"What do you mean?" Jeff asked. "What happened when you took Clay to apologize?"

"She was snarky and aggressive, basically a repeat of the day before at the briefing. Only in her office, nursing a sore backside and bruised ego, Clay was like a kid facing the school principal with his tail between his legs," Trent said. "Blackburn, our captain, and I were in the room and could both see he was hurt and upset by her comments. But Mandy was either completely oblivious or she just didn't give a damn."

"So I know you sent Clay out of the room before you confronted her," Jason said. "Then what happened?"

"That's what I had not paid much attention to because I was so infuriated by the way she treated our kid," Trent said. "I was focused on reminding myself that I couldn't knock her out because she's a woman, but now I remember that her entire demeanor changed with Clay out of the room. She used a completely different, surprised tone of voice, like she had no idea why I was so upset. She called me Trent, and attempted to talk to me directly which I completely ignored, but up until then, she had acted like it was just her and Clay in the room, and Blackburn and I were invisible. In hindsight, it was really odd."

"What do you make of that, Doc?" Jason asked. "Do you think that's important or related to Clay thinking she's after him?

"I have never met or talked to this woman, so I can't interpret or judge her behavior with any kind of certainty," Jeff said. "But it sounds like it's possible that she's either using Clay to get a reaction from Jason, thinking she can somehow manipulate the situation to get what she wants. Or it's also possible that she legitimately doesn't understand the bond you have with the kid, and she thinks she can convince you to take her side. Maybe drive a wedge and get him moved to another team who will give her the access she wants to his skills."

"Never happening," Jason said simply.

"We know that, Jase," Trent said. "But hard as it is to imagine, maybe Mandy thinks she can manipulate this situation. And it's entirely possible Clay believes it too."

"Okay," Jason started. "So let's say that's what she's up to. How do we explain the kid legitimately believing she is trying to kill him?"

"That I still can't figure out," Trent said. "I can see her being manipulative and even bullying the kid. But to actually threaten him physically? We've both said it, Jason. She has no authority in the Navy. She's CIA. Her career, which drives everything she does, is dependent on a good working relationship with the tier one SEAL teams. No way she's reckless enough with her career, especially being a woman in such a male-dominated agency, to risk directly threatening a seventeen-year-old kid who the Navy regards as a valuable asset."

"Not to mention completely blowing up your long-term friendship and working relationship that you both obviously value and see as mutually beneficial," Trent added.

"So maybe, what we are getting at here," Jeff said, "is that this woman, bitchy and as annoyed with Jason as she may be, is not actively trying to hurt Clay at all. Is it possible that her annoyed and ticked off attitude has fed into his anxiety that he is actually a bad kid and a liability that Jason will someday throw away just like every other adult in his life up to this point?"

"It's definitely possible," Trent admitted. "He's had bigger meltdowns with less provocation when he gets things mixed up in his head and is afraid to come to us for help. Although, I still think we are missing something that took the kid from I'm not good enough and about to be dumped, to the CIA liaison is trying to kill me."

"Also, keep in mind that Clay did actively seek help this time," Jeff reminded them. "He was afraid to go to you without backup, but he managed to get himself here this morning to my office looking for what Brock claimed was me to 'help calm him down'."

"That is definite growth," Jason said. "Even if it still ended in tears and exhaustion, at least he tried to do the right thing. My truck is still intact and no one has ended up in the hospital."

Trent laughed, "That's definitely something, Boss. Way to see the silver lining."

"So, Doc," Jase questioned. "Do you see the kid seeking out help as a sign on some level Clay knows this is all in his head or you think he legit thinks he's in danger?"

"It's hard to say without actually talking it all out with him, which we have yet to do," Jeff said. "I don't think from what I hear from you that it would be fair to accuse this woman of plotting a murder. So that is good. Unless of course he wakes up and tells us she has directly threatened his life, but given all you have told me, that seems highly unlikely."

"No NCIS taking Mandy away in cuffs," Trent said. "That will disappoint Brock and Sonny."

"I also think it's most likely that Clay is all mixed up and confusing a lot of different people and events," Jeff continued. "He's done that before, and I want to hear more about this nightmare you mentioned he had last night. I also think Trent is right that there is something we are missing connecting his normal anxiety to being murdered. That is really concerning to me, and something we need to get sorted out."

"I agree," Trent said. "He is legitimately worked up and scared of something. We need to get to the bottom of that ASAP. And we haven't even mentioned yet that yesterday Clay got worked up talking to Brock about his fear of Jason dumping him, and he told Brock that he 'couldn't stand it' if he lost Jason. The kid seriously shook Brock up by saying he would rather be dead than on his own again."

"So, yeah, Doc," Jason said, rubbing his hand down his tired face. "There's that too."

"Okay," Jeff started, taking a breath. "We can't handle all of this today, which is why I had Clay make a list of what was scaring him so that we can address everything over time. I wanted him to see that we are aware of his fears, we care about him and take his anxiety seriously, and we will not forget or ignore the things that make him afraid."

"So you still feel the Mandy issue should be our top priority for today," Trent said.

"Yes. I do," Jeff said. "That's what Clay prioritized as his biggest problem. It's the reason he told Brock he needed to see me. And your kid is smart enough to know that as soon as he told me that he was afraid she wanted to kill him, I would be forced to address the issue."

"You don't think the kid saying he'd rather be dead than alone is more upsetting?" Jason asked.

"I completely understand and share your concerns," Jeff said. "I'm not downplaying Clay mentioning being dead. But, as I said before, I think he has a lot of people and things mixed up in his head right now. Him thinking Mandy wants to kill him or get rid of him in some way is most likely connected to him saying he'd rather be dead than alone. I think everything your boy wrote on that list is connected to his biggest, overall fear which is being abandoned again. Clay is so terrified of that happening that he refused to write it down and said he couldn't talk about it because it's too scary. I honestly think if we come at him with that today, as confused and exhausted as he clearly is right now, he will fully shut down."

"So, basically Doc," Trent said. "You're saying that Clay told us in several different ways that he wants to talk about Mandy, so we need to give him what he says he needs and talk about Mandy. But, you think that talking about whatever is going on in his head that got him to Mandy wants to kill me will actually be a step toward dealing with the root of everything on the 'scary things' list, which is his fear of Jason abandoning him."

"Exactly," Jeff said.

"And, just to clarify," Jason said. "You don't think we need to worry Clay is going to make a suicide attempt."

"I don't think what he said to Brock indicates he's considering suicide. What I hear from your boy's words is that Clay wants you to know that to him there is nothing worse you could do than leave him," Jeff explained.

"Just in case you haven't heard him when he's repeated it countless times, or you didn't get the message when he created his own version of a five-alarm fire when you left him back from Liberia, or it wasn't obvious to you when Jason leaves him in his nightmares, or you don't get the hint when he clutches onto a piece of your clothing when he's afraid, he's saying it again loud and clear for those in the back of the room."

Jeff continued, making his hands like a megaphone and making an announcement. "'Please don't leave me. I'm going to test you, push every button, and force you to see me and deal with me. But no matter how bad I show you I can be, please don't leave me. Every adult in my life has either abused or left me or both. And if you leave me, I will never be okay again.'"

"Okay, Doc. I get that's the root of all of Clay's issues," Jason said, sounding as exhausted as his kid. "But I swear on all my kids and Bravo. I will never abandon that kid, no matter what he does or how much he tries to put me over the edge. I tell him this regularly. Trent tells him. Brock tells him. Everyone tells him. I just don't know what else I can do."

"Jase," Trent said calmly. "We know you are doing everything you can. And believe me Boss, Clay knows it too. He just can't let himself believe he's safe yet because he has been burned every other time in his life. He wants to believe it. I know he does. He just can't yet. But, I know he will get there. It's been less than a year, and look how far he's come. We all said it Jase, this is a marathon, not a sprint. We all have your back. We will get the kid where he needs to be. It's just going to take time and boatloads of patience."

"Trent is absolutely right, Jason," Jeff assured him. "I can't even imagine how tiring and stressful this is on top of your job with the Navy. But Clay is making progress. And I think we all believe he's worth the effort."

"He's absolutely worth whatever effort it takes," Jason interjected strongly.

"One hundred percent," Trent added.

"He loves you so much. That's why it's so devastating for him to think about losing you," Jeff went on. "And I know it will be hard for you to believe because you don't deal with damaged kids every day like I do, but Jason, the fact that he almost immediately took to, not just you, but Trent as well, is so unusual for a boy with his past level of physical and emotional abuse." Jeff shook his head, like he still couldn't believe it himself, before continuing.

"And he's bonded with and trusts every member of your team. Accepts them as his family when he never even understood what family meant before he joined your team. I can't remember a single case in all my years of working with abused and abandoned children where a teenage boy has been willing to risk opening himself up to further pain by trusting and bonding with adult men."

"Okay, Doc," Jason said. "So we're going to focus on Mandy and whatever craziness Clay has confused in his head right now. Everything else is back-burnered until we get this sorted out?"

"Yes," Jeff agreed. "Well, it's back-burnered as much as Clay leaves it on the back burner. The other scary things will continue to pop up and impact his anxiety level and testing behaviors. We'll keep working on the list. But I actually think that tackling the Mandy situation, and getting a win there will be fairly easy. Once Clay gets everything sorted in his head, and Jason makes it clear to your CIA liaison that the kid is off-limits to passive-aggressive crap, I think we'll be able to cross this one off the list."

"Sounds like we are all on the same page," Jason sighed. "Now we need to wake up the kid and trudge through sorting this Mandy thing out."

"Look at the bright side, Boss," Trent smiled cheerfully. "It's only lunchtime on Friday. We'll have the whole weekend to regroup. And just say the word if you need me to give the kid a Benadryl cocktail to knock him out until Monday morning."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Dr. Jeff said, standing to stretch before leading the two men back to his office to wake the kid.

Later Friday night, after sharing pizza and salad while lounging on the couch watching the grown idiots prank each other for awhile, Clay went willingly off to bed after spending some productive time in the bathroom reading his book and taking care of business.

Clay had stuck close to Jason after the two-hour long group session with Dr. Jeff and a long nap on the couch where he could see and hear his protector, close by, snoring softly in his recliner. The kid had missed his dad so much. Clay knew he would have been embarrassed and blushing If it had been anyone other than Trent and Dr. Jeff who had witnessed him lose it and cry in Jason's arms when he woke and saw him alive and well, standing in his doctor's office.

When the three men had entered the office, Clay was still sound asleep under the blanket on Dr. Jeff's comfortable couch. Trent had crouched down next to the kid, rubbing his back and calling his name softly to wake him up.

"Come on, Clay," Trent said with his perfect combination of firm and gentle. "Time to get up, Kiddo. Guess who made it back? The boss is here, so you need to get your lazy butt moving."

Clay had appeared to be still sleeping, but at the mention of Jason being back, he sat up immediately, rubbing his eyes and looking befuddled with his messy hair and confused expression.

"Jason is here?" he asked, looking up at Trent hopefully.

"Right here, Sunshine," Jason said, smiling from his position standing across the room.

Forgetting completely that the whole point of the secret visit to Dr. Jeff was to show Jason that he was not a baby as Mandy had suggested more than once, Clay stumbled off the couch over to the man he had been missing and walked into his arms. Wrapping his arms around his adopted dad, Clay buried his face in the older man's chest and began to cry uncontrollably.

Jason was not expecting that reaction, nor was Dr. Jeff from the confused expression on his face when Jason looked anxiously over his kid's head to make eye contact with the doctor. Bravo's master chief recovered quickly, holding his boy protectively in his arms and stroking his hair in an attempt to calm him down.

"Shh, Clay," Jason whispered gently. "Sweetheart, relax. Everything is okay."

Only Trent seemed unsurprised by the kid's extreme reaction to waking up and seeing Jason had returned. The medic had spent a week with Clay practically in his pocket. He was well aware that the kid was anxious and overly emotional. He had warned both Jason and Dr. Jeff that the kid was a wreck. Trent thought to himself seeing their shock that apparently his words did not sink in until they saw Clay hysterical in Jason's arms.

Jason continued to talk softly and calmly to his kid, promising that he was safe and home to stay. He told Clay he had missed him and that he was not upset with him. After a few minutes, Jason and Trent were able to get him settled down and sitting back on the couch leaning against the only dad he could ever trust, tightly holding the edge of his sleeve.

Dr. Jeff had left them alone for a few minutes before returning with the orange juice he had promised Clay earlier and a donut with chocolate frosting.

"Here you go, Kiddo," he said smiling. "I bet you are starving. You haven't eaten anything all day." The doctor handed Jason the juice so he could give it to the kid when he was settled. He put the donut on a napkin in Clay's lap hoping he would be enticed to take at least a few bites. After a few minutes of silent breathing and pulling himself together, Clay drank half the juice and began to slowly eat the donut.

"Sorry," Clay said quietly. "I wanted to show you that I'm not a baby, but I guess that didn't work out so good."

"Hey, Sunshine," Jason said, looking his boy in the eye. "You don't ever need to be sorry for feeling overwhelmed or upset. It doesn't make you a baby. But honey, like it or not, to old dogs like me and your Uncle Trent over there and Sonny, you are our baby."

"I know," Clay said softly. He finished his donut and smiled up at Trent when he quietly left the room and returned with a blueberry muffin clearly meant for him. "It never bothered me when you guys would call me the baby before. No one ever considered me their kid or their baby before you and it used to make me feel like you loved me. Like I was safe with you because you said I was your baby. Like your real kid."

Once again, Dr. Jeff was surprised at how willing Clay was to admit his feelings openly to the older men. It did not fit the profile of a kid with his childhood traumas. The doctor knew from his meetings with both Jason and Trent that this was a gradual development over the past year. Clay was not open or trusting with his true feelings when he first joined Bravo.

Being a combat veteran himself, Jeff suspected that Clay's openness with his Bravo brothers was fostered on missions where he had no choice but to rely on them for not only his survival, but also as the only source of love and comfort he had ever known in his young life. Their bond was clearly strong, and it gave the boy the confidence to share his feelings openly without fear of scorn or rejection.

"Clay," Jeff began calmly. "I'm hearing you say that the word 'baby' or being considered the baby on Bravo and in your team family was not something that bothered you in the past. Am I hearing you correctly, or is that not what you meant?"

"You're right that it wasn't something I thought was bad before," Clay replied.

"Before what?" Jeff questioned. "It wasn't something you thought was bad before what?"

Clay looked up at Jason hesitantly, before looking across the small coffee table to make eye contact with Trent who was sitting in a chair.

"Go ahead, Clay," Trent encouraged him. "Absolutely nothing to be worried about here. You are fine, and we are just talking. No one is mad or going to get angry with you for telling us the truth about how you feel."

Jason jumped in, "What did you mean by it didn't bother you 'before'?"

"Before Ms. Ellis started to hate me and call me baby as an insult," Clay said, looking down at the muffin he was slowly continuing to eat.

"What makes you think she hates you, Clay?" Jeff asked simply.

"I told you before, she wants to kill me," he answered as if it was common knowledge Mandy hated and wanted him dead.

"Yes," Jeff said calmly. "You told us that, and wrote it on the list of scary things. But I'm asking what exactly has she said or done to make you think that she hates you?"

Clay looked up at Dr. Jeff sadly. "You guys don't believe me," he said simply. "You probably think I'm crazy too. I told Brock this might happen."

Jason and Trent stayed quiet, waiting to see how Dr. Jeff responded.

"Clay, we absolutely do not think that you are crazy. And I never said that I don't believe you. I completely believe that you think this woman hates and wants to kill you," Dr. Jeff paused. "But I think it's possible that you may have some people and events confused in your head. That's why I'm asking you to tell me what Ms. Ellis has done or said to make you believe she wants to hurt you."

Clay was silent. Pulling off small bits of his muffin and eating them quietly for a few minutes without talking. He was purposely not making eye contact which told the older men he was feeling cornered and shutting down on them. They waited him out, and eventually he responded with some classic Clay snark.

"If you are saying that you know I believe she wants to kill me, but she doesn't, and I have everything mixed up in my head, then I think that might be the actual definition of me being crazy. But, I'm not the trained doctor so maybe I have that mixed up too," Clay said, sarcastically. "He hesitantly let go of Jason's sleeve, sliding down towards the other side of the couch, putting some distance between himself and his dad to let him know he didn't want to be coddled."

Jeff could see that Jason was not happy with the angry teenager persona his kid seemed to be bringing to the conversation. Jeff had been dealing with threatened kids in fight mode for decades, and he could see a conflict coming that Clay was purposely creating to avoid this conversation.

At the same time, Jeff could see that Trent was perfectly calm and unfazed by Clay's biting response to his questioning about Mandy. Jeff did not miss the slight shake of the medic's head and silent conversation that took place between Trent and his longtime friend. Not a word was spoken out loud, but Jeff smiled thinking that it was something along the lines of 'Boss, I know you want to strangle him, but don't bite. He's baiting you to avoid this conversation. Take a breath and hold your tongue.'

Jason did just that, and Jeff made a quick decision. He looked over and made eye contact with Trent, smiling to let the clearly skilled medic know they were on the same page in wanting to sidestep conflict and get to the answers Jeff knew were so close.

"Okay, Kiddo," Jeff said lightly. "I'm feeling a little closed in and overwhelmed right now. So how about we get a little space between us all."

"Sounds like a great idea, Doc," Trent agreed, winking quickly at Clay who seemed surprised that his rude tone of voice hadn't gotten his expected response from either Jason or Trent.

"Jason," Jeff said. "If it is okay with you, how about you and I run downstairs and grab a cup of coffee."

"Great," Jason replied, happy to avoid conflict with bratty Clay after his long, exhausting drive home.

"Clay," Dr. Jeff said, standing and reaching out to tousle the kid's hair and let him know he wasn't in trouble. "How about you and Uncle Trent hang out here for a while. I think maybe with a little more space and air in the room you will feel a lot safer and less cornered."

The shocked expression on the kid's face at the adults in the room shutting down his attempt at staging a fight/flight combination to avoid talking about his current state of mind made Dr. Jeff, the child psychiatrist, feel a little bad for the poor kid. Jason and Trent, the hard-ass Navy SEALS, not so much.

"Enjoy your coffee," Trent said cheerfully. "I think the runt and I will stretch our legs and walk down the hall to the vending machines to grab a drink and snack before we continue this conversation."

Clay rolled his eyes and sighed, knowing he had just gotten beat. "Ugh! Seriously, Trent? Is this going to be like our 'conversation' when the witch came after me and you decided I needed to get punished and not her?"

"Excuse me, young man?" Trent said in his 'don't even think about testing me voice'. "Keeping in mind that you are talking to adults, and not Corey or the kids in your building, do you want to calm down and repeat that question?"

The kid took a breath, looked around at the men in the room and quickly came to the conclusion that pushing Trent or Jason any further would most definitely end badly for him. "No, sir," Clay said quietly, looking down at the carpet which was suddenly very interesting.

Trent reached out and gently lifted Clay's chin to maintain eye contact while he continued speaking calmly. "Honey, you are the one who convened this meeting, and you have the power to determine what path our conversation takes. As I remember Wednesday, that conversation included me punishing you because you chose to be disrespectful to an adult. It will be unnecessarily painful for us both if you decide to make that same unfortunate choice today."

"That would be an unfortunate situation," Dr. Jeff agreed solemnly. "I think maybe he just needed to take a breath. Clay knows better than to get smart with his favorite uncle."

Jason chuckled. "Let's go get that coffee, Doc," he said, walking toward the office door before turning to look back at his kid.

"And Clay, I am going to strongly advise that you use your head before your mouth for the rest of this conversation," Jason paused before continuing. "Your partner in deception Brock already learned the hard way today that annoying your Uncle Trent is not a winning proposition."

As soon as the two men left the room, Clay turned to Trent with an appalled look on his face. "Trent," he croaked out. "Did you actually spank Brock? He's married and like thirty-something! You can't spank someone who's thirty."

Trent burst out laughing at the horrified expression on his kid's face. Standing and pulling up the kid from his seat on the couch, Trent put his arm around his boy, pulling him close and kissing the top of his head,

"Nope. I let him off with just a warning smack upside his head to let him know I do not play. And you're right that he's a little too adult for a spanking. Imagine how awkward it would be for poor Brock to have to admit to Katie that he is taking his dinner standing up because he got his butt paddled at work," Trent said, leading him toward the door. "But don't think for a second that I couldn't tear his grown ass up if I decided he needed it."

"I'm telling him you said that," Clay laughed.

"Go right ahead, Shorty," Trent replied. "He already knows, which is why you never see him mess with me."

After their quick detour to the vending machines, Clay was happily enjoying CheezIts and Sprite, while Trent slowly sipped his bottled water, waiting patiently for his kid to start talking. It didn't take long for Clay to crack in the presence of his most trusted source of comfort.

"I can tell Ms. Ellis hates me by the way she looks at me," Clay said.

"You figured that out just by the way she looks at you?" Trent asked. "So are you telling me she hasn't verbally threatened you or told you that she doesn't like you for some inexplicable reason?"

Trent added, "Well, I mean any reason other than you disrespecting her in a room full of Navy SEALS by reminding her that she could never do a job that the Navy has no problem with a sixteen-year-old kid doing, simply because she's a woman."

Clay looked shamefaced at Trent, who continued to sip his water calmly.

"I thought we agreed that I was wrong, you punished me, and we are moving on from that," Clay said, softly.

"We did agree, and we are absolutely moving on," Trent said, calmly. "But right now, I am trying to understand why it is that you truly believe Mandy hates you enough to consider murder. And I'm wondering if somewhere in your head you are thinking that confrontation is part of the reason."

Clay shook his head. "It started a long time before this week," he said. "And no. She didn't tell me she hates me or wants to kill me. I can just tell from the way she looks at me."

"Buddy," Trent said, leaning forward to give the back of his kid's neck a quick squeeze. "You are going to need to explain this 'death look' in more detail. I've seen Ellis look super annoyed at Jason often, and you occasionally, but I've never seen anything that made me think she was on the verge of turning violent."

"It's hard to explain," Clay said, frustrated. "It's like she's looking right at me. Like she's telling me that I'd better be careful because she can hurt me anytime she feels like it."

"Okay, honey," Trent said using the calm voice. He could see Clay was getting upset, and that would only slow down progress. "I'm still not understanding. So, I'm going to ask you some questions, and I want you to just answer as best you can until we figure this out together. Agreed?"

Clay nodded. "Okay," he said quietly.

"When was the first time you felt like Ms. Ellis could hurt you?" Trent asked, suspecting this went back much further than any of them suspected.

"I thought about it the first time I met her," Clay admitted. "But, I wasn't feeling like I was in danger until after Liberia. And when Jason left to see Emma, I knew she could get me if she wanted to because Jason was gone."

Trent was shocked to hear the kid say this went all the way back to when he first joined the Navy. Mandy had been involved with missions he had been on before he had even met Bravo, back when he was rookie SEAL level. Trent's gut was telling him this made no sense and that Clay was still afraid to tell him something.

Trent knew he was close to answers. But, he also understood he needed to tread carefully and not spook Clay into going silent on him.

"Why do you think she could get you with Jason out of town? Do you think I would ever let anyone hurt you?" Trent asked.

"She won't hurt me if Jason is home," Clay explained. "She's not scared of you."

"So, she's scared of Jason then?" Trent asked, truly mystified by this whole conversation.

"Maybe. I don't know, but I know she only does bad things when he's away," Clay said.

"Have you seen her do bad things?" Trent asked

"We all saw her do it," Clay said.

At this point, Trent was certain that his kid was no longer talking about Mandy Ellis. Dr. Jeff was right that there was a lot getting mixed up in their boy's head. Trent felt like he was talking to Clay after one of his nightmares when he appeared awake, but was still stuck in the dream. But this was more disconcerting because he was sure the kid was fully awake and not dreaming.

Trent decided to switch gears. "Clay, I've seen you face down some really scary men. Targets with weapons who have done terrible things," Trent said. "Can you explain why those men didn't scare you, but a five foot five woman who weighs maybe one thirty and carries around a laptop and no weapons has you afraid for your life?"

"A five foot five woman without a gun can kill too," Clay said solemnly. "I know she can."

"How do you know that, Clay?" Trent asked as if he and the kid were discussing the weather or what they might have for lunch.

"Because I saw her do it," Clay said.

"You saw her kill someone?" Trent asked.

"Yes," Clay said softly. "But Trent, I'm not allowed to talk about it, ever."

"Why can't you talk about it?" Trent asked.

"Because if I do, she'll kill me too," Clay whispered.

"Clay. Do you remember when you saw her kill someone? Was it before you joined Bravo?" Trent asked, trying to get a handle on this whole insane tale.

"Yes," Clay said. "It was a long time ago, I think." He looked confused.

"Do you remember how old you were?" Trent questioned slowly.

"I'm not sure, Trent," Clay sounded anxious. "I don't want to think about it."

"I know you're scared," Trent said gently. "But I'm right here with you, and everything is fine. We're just talking. No one is going to get hurt."

"How old do you think you were?" Trent pushed.

"Eleven, maybe," Clay hesitated. "I was in fifth grade."

"Sweetheart," Trent said, putting his arm around his boy and holding him close. "We were talking about Ms. Ellis. But you didn't know Ms. Ellis when you were eleven."

"Ms. Ellis?" Clay asked, sinking into his protector's side. "We were talking about her trying to kill me?"

"I thought we were, honey," Trent explained. "But now, I think you have Ms. Ellis mixed up with another woman you knew when you were a little boy."

Clay nodded. "I think so too."

"Do you know who this other woman is?" Trent asked.

Clay turned into his favorite uncle, once again holding his shirt to help steady himself. "It's going to sound crazy, Trent."

"You know that you can tell me anything and we will figure it out together," Trent said calmly. "Just tell me and I will help you, Clay."

"I know in my head, it sounds crazy, and she can't hurt me," the kid said brokenly. "But, I'm still scared. She told us if we ever talked about it, she would know."

"Who told you that?" Trent asked. "It wasn't Mandy. Who was it? You can tell me."

"A lady I used to know," Clay said.

"Your grandma?" Trent asked.

Clay shook his head. "No."

"Was it someone from Africa or here in Virginia?" Trent continued the question-answer session.

"Here," Clay whispered.

"Someone from when you were in foster care?" Trent said.

Clay nodded.

"One of your foster moms?" Trent asked.

"Yes," Clay said, looking around nervously as if she might suddenly appear and catch him talking about the forbidden secrets.

"She's not here, honey," Trent assured him.

"I know," Clay said softly. "I don't know where she is."

"Is this a foster mom you've mentioned to us before?" Trent asked.

"No," Clay said. "I told you that I'm not allowed to talk about her."

"If you were eleven, she must have been before the cop who hurt you?" Trent continued with the questions.

"Yes, it was a temporary placement. My last temp placement before the Greens," Clay explained, quietly. He was resigned to the fact that Trent would not let this go, so he might as well talk.

"So, Clay," Trent said gently, rubbing the kid's arm to help him stay settled. "It sounds like you are telling me that you saw your foster mother, who reminds you of Mandy, kill someone. Is that what you're telling me?"

"The mom told us she had to do it because she was evil," Clay said. "She was always hurting her because the mom thought she had the devil in her."

"Did she hurt you honey?" Trent asked.

"No. She had a hairbrush for spanking if we were bad, but I never got spanked at that placement," Clay said. "None of the kids did because we knew she was crazy and she would hurt us too if she thought we were bad."

"I could tell by the way she looked at me that if I was bad, she would kill me too," Clay said.

"Who did she kill, Clay?" Trent asked.

"The evil girl she kept locked in her bedroom," Clay said. "The mom said the devil was in her."

"She was your foster sister?" Trent asked, having no clue if this story could be true.

"She wasn't one of the foster kids," Clay said. "The mom was her real mom."

"This foster mom killed her own daughter?" Trent asked, trying to sound calm.

Clay nodded. "I saw her get beat a lot. We all did. She never let her out of the room, and we were never allowed to talk about her. If we talked about her ever, the mom said she would know."

"Do you still believe that now, Clay?" Trent asked.

"I know in my head, it can't be true," Clay said. "But thinking about her and how she looked at me, like she could see if I was bad. I don't like to remember the mom or the girl."

"Can you tell me the girl's name?" Trent asked gently.

"Kelly," Clay said, burying his head in the older man's chest.

Trent just held the kid for several minutes trying to process everything Clay just dumped at his feet. The medic knew he had the link that took the kid from Ellis making snide comments and looking annoyed to Ellis wants to kill me. What he didn't know is if Clay's foster mother actually killed her own child. The kid was obviously mixing up the two women in his head, but he still wasn't sure if Clay's story about the foster mother was accurate.

What Trent was absolutely sure of is that they needed to bring Dr. Jeff and Jason back into this conversation.

"Clay?" Trent said softly. "You awake down there?"

Clay nodded. "Yeah. I'm here."

"Okay, honey," Trent said. "Do you think you are ready to bring Dr. Jeff and Jason back in on this new development? We only have about an hour before Dr. Jeff needs to get back to his other patients. And I think we most definitely need to talk about what happened at this foster placement."

"Can you explain it to them?" Clay asked. "I'm tired of talking."

"I can do that," Trent promised. "But, I'm sure Dr. Jeff is going to have some more questions, and I need you to do your best to answer honestly. Deal?"

Clay nodded. "Deal," he agreed.

Trent texted Jason to say the kid was talking freely, and like everything in Clay's life it was deeply disturbing.

I need you and Dr. Jeff up here for backup. We definitely have the missing piece of the crazy ass puzzle, and all of a sudden, Clay has a lot to say. But I'm not sure if this insane story he's telling me actually happened the way he thinks it did. I'm hoping Dr. Jeff will be able to sort it out.

Great. We need a little more crazy in this wild tale. On our way up.

When Jason and the doctor arrived, they found Trent and Clay sitting on the couch talking calmly. The kid looked worn out, but he had calmed down, and thankfully Clay the brat seemed to have left the building. Clearly, Trent had worked his magic once again.

"Well, Kiddo," Jeff said smiling. "Seems like adding a little space between us all helped you calm down a little, and maybe remember some things more clearly?"

Clay nodded sheepishly, sticking close to Trent.

"Yeah, Dr. Jeff. You were right about me having a lot of things getting mixed up in my head," he said softly. "And also, I'm really sorry I talked rudely to you before. I don't know why I did that, but it won't happen again."

"Thank you for the apology, Clay," Dr. Jeff said. "I think maybe you were feeling cornered and confused by the questions, and you lashed out in an attempt to get away from the conversation. Do you think maybe that's what happened?"

Clay nodded. "I'm sorry," he said again.

"It's over, Kiddo," Dr. Jeff said. "How about we forget all about that and see if we can get what's happening in your head sorted out so you can relax and hopefully get some much needed rest this weekend?"

Clay nodded, sliding closer to Trent. "I'm really tired," he admitted.

"We can see you are worn out, Sunshine," Jason said gently. "How about you and Trent fill us in on what you talked about so we can hopefully put this Mandy thing to bed and let Dr. Jeff have some lunch and get ready for his other patients?"

"Sounds good to me," Trent said.

"Trent said he would explain everything to you," Clay said quickly

"That's fine, Clay," Jeff said, taking a seat in his chair, while Jason took the empty chair across from where his brother and his kid were sitting on the couch.

Clay sat quietly, leaning against Trent for support while Jason and the doctor silently listened to the medic repeat everything the kid had told him about his former foster mother.

"I'm sorry, Clay," Jason said, at a loss for words. "I don't even know what to say except I am so sorry that you have been exposed to so many horrible, frightening things. But, honey, I know I say this all the time, and I'm going to say it again. That part of your life is over. You have a family who loves you. I love you, and I am not going to let anyone hurt you. You are completely safe."

Clay nodded. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this before when we talked about my past and how I ended up on Bravo."

"Why didn't you tell us, Sunshine?" Jason asked.

"Saying it outloud, I know it sounds crazy, but I was afraid something terrible would happen if I told you," Clay explained. "She told us that if we ever talked about her or Kelly, the devil would know about it. Because she thought Kelly was possessed or a demon or something."

"Kiddo," Dr. Jeff spoke up. "Do you understand that's not possible? This little girl was not evil or possessed. Demons do not possess people in real life."

"Yes," Clay said. "I know in my head it's crazy and not possible. But back then, I really believed she could kill me at any time, just like she killed Kelly. And I didn't know if Kelly was really evil, because I never saw her do anything bad. But, we were all still scared of the demons. And Trent thinks I somehow got that all mixed up in my head with Ms. Ellis."

"I think Trent is right that you got this terrible thing that happened when you were younger, that you have been afraid to talk about, mixed up with the anxiety you have been feeling about Ms. Ellis," Dr. Jeff explained. "And then on top of that, you were missing Jason, and worried that he might be upset with you for your behavior at the briefing. And all of that created the perfect storm in your head."

"Do you think that's why I had the bad dream last night with Mandy and my last foster dad, and Ash killing Jason?" Clay asked.

"Yes, Kiddo," Jeff said gently. "I think all of these really traumatic things that you blocked out and refused to think about when all you could focus on was surviving, are now coming out in your thoughts and dreams."

"Why?" Clay asked, sounding desperate. "How can I make it stop?"

Trent lifted his arm, allowing the kid to inch closer and attach himself to his side, offering comfort and protection.

"You are already doing it, Clay," Dr. Jeff smiled. "You straightened out the Ms. Ellis wants to kill me situation just by talking it out with your Uncle Trent. And you got the ball rolling all on your own by convincing Brock to bring you down for the emergency appointment. On some level, you knew that once you came down here and told me you were afraid of being killed, it would force me to take action. That's what got us to where we are now."

"So maybe the lesson here, Squirt," Trent started, "is that the more you talk to me and Jason and Dr. Jeff and the rest of the guys about these scary things you have always kept buried, the less likely the bad memories will pop up in your dreams. And there will be less chance of these confusing mix-ups in your head, because you will have people who love and want to help you sorting everything out with you."

"It's hard to talk about," Clay said softly.

"I know it's hard," Jason said. "And I truly wish you didn't have to think about these horrible things. But you can do hard things, Clay. You have already done hard things. And now, Trent is right, you have people to help you sort it all out. Just like we did today."

"And Clay," Dr. Jeff added. "We are going to take this slow. Today, all we needed to do was determine if you are in danger from Ms. Ellis. We know now that she is not a threat to you. She is not trying to kill you. So you did what we needed you to do for today."

"Dr. Jeff is right," Trent said, rubbing his boy's arm. "You and he have plenty of time to talk about the other things on your list. But, just one thing at a time, so it's not overwhelming. And we can do our best to help you keep that anxiety and the bellyaches and the impulsive smart mouth under control."

"So, do we cross Ms. Ellis off the list?" Clay asked.

Dr. Jeff smiled, "That's a great idea. I love it. Let's cross it off." He stood to get a pen from his desk and handed Clay the list he had made earlier that morning so the kid could do the honors and cross it off himself.

"What about Kelly and the foster mom?" Clay asked after he had crossed Mandy off the list. "Do they go on now?"

"That's up to you, Kiddo," Dr. Jeff said, sitting back down in his chair. "It's definitely something we need to talk more about. If it's alright with you and Jason, before you leave, I'll have you sign a release of information consent so that I can get a copy of your records from your time in foster care."

"You don't have that information?" Trent asked, surprised.

"No, I don't," Dr. Jeff said. "The initial referral I received from Clay's pediatric gastroenterologist in Norfolk included his military medical records and the hipaa release forms to share information with you and Jason, but nothing from foster care was included."

"Will it take long to dig those records up?" Jason asked.

"Not at all," Jeff said. "It's all computerized now, so once I have Michele fax the release form, I will likely have everything by the beginning of next week. I actually have some connections with Child Protective Services, so I might even be able to get the records by the end of today."

"Is that okay with you, Sunshine?" Jason asked.

Clay nodded. "It's easier for me if you already know and I don't have to repeat everything all the time."

"I know today was strictly for solving the Mandy puzzle," Trent said. "But I feel like maybe we need to just talk briefly about this latest horror story."

The medic addressed the kid directly. "Clay, is it okay with you if I have a few questions for Dr. Jeff, or would you rather we just leave now?"

"I'm okay with talking," Clay said sitting up. "I have a question for Dr. Jeff too."

"Go ahead, Clay," Jeff said. "Ask away."

"Is Trent right that you and I have a lot of time to talk about things on my list?" Clay asked.

"As long as you need," Jeff said.

"So, you know I'm going to be seventeen in a few weeks right?" Clay said, looking down at the floor.

"I do," Jeff answered. "I'm feeling like maybe you are concerned about that. Am I right?"

Clay nodded. Jason looked over at Trent and shrugged. Neither man was aware Clay was worried about his birthday.

"So, you are a doctor for kids, right?" Clay asked.

"Yes. I see young children, adolescents like you, and some older teens and young adults," Dr. Jeff explained.

"What happens when I'm eighteen?" Clay asked hesitantly. "I won't be able to see you anymore?"

"That will be up to you, Clay," Dr. Jeff explained calmly, recognizing this was something the boy had obviously worried over. "I normally don't take new referrals for anyone over eighteen. But, most pediatric doctors will continue to see current patients, like you who I started seeing when you were under eighteen, until that patient is twenty-one. It's a decision I leave up to the kid and his or her parents. I have some patients I saw as children who wanted to move on to a doctor who sees adults when they turned eighteen or when they graduated from high school. But there are others I see who opted to continue with me who are between eighteen and twenty-two. Some are in college, others just felt comfortable and chose to continue with me."

"Is this something you have been worried about, Sunshine?" Jason asked.

Clay nodded. "I guess I've been scared about what's going to happen to me when I turn eighteen," he admitted.

"Well, honey, you haven't even officially hit seventeen yet," Jason smiled. "So you have some time before you need to worry about eighteen."

"I know you have other patients coming, and today was just for Mandy," Clay said. "But, can we add this to the list?"

"Absolutely," Jeff said. "Jason is right that eighteen is a ways off, and I don't want you to hit the panic button just yet. But I can see this is something you have thought about a lot, and you are doing just what we said you should do, which is let one of us know, so that we can talk it out."

"Dr. Jeff is right," Trent added. "I am so proud of you for doing what we asked and letting us know when something is confusing or scary."

"I'm proud of you too, son," Jason said. "Talking things out is the best way to lighten the load and make everything a lot less overwhelming and frightening."

Trent handed the pen back, and Clay added,

5. I'm scared about turning 17 and then 18.

"Okay, Trent" Dr. Jeff said, clapping his hands. "You have something we need to discuss?"

"Uh, yeah, Doc," Trent said. "I'm feeling like there's an elephant in the room we haven't finished discussing. This mentally unstable and abusive foster mother who according to Clay murdered her own child. Do we need to call the cops, or is this woman currently behind bars?"

"Yes, Doc," Jason added his two cents. "I agree with Trent. That data dump the kid just spilled at our feet seems like it warrants some clarification. Murdering a child is about as big a deal as there is."

"I fully agree, which is why I am going to get the records asap, so that we can see what the official report says about Clay's time with this family," Dr. Jeff promised.

"It's not a secret anymore," Clay added quietly, leaning back into Trent. "The cops already know. I think the mom is probably still in jail. That's how I ended up with Mr. Green and his wife."

"That's the cop that hurt you?" Jeff clarified.

"He was one of the police who talked to me and the other kids. He already had the other girls, Sarah and Rebecca, at his house," Clay said, closing his eyes. He was so tired.

"Okay, Shorty," Trent said softly, looking down at the kid. The medic knew he was exhausted and they needed to get him home. "Dr. Jeff can fill in the blanks later after he gets those records. I just wanted to confirm that this disturbed woman wasn't still on the Social Services payroll."

"No Trent," Jeff assured him. "When you told us what Clay remembered, the story sounded familiar. It was all over the local news at the time as I'm sure you can imagine."

"It's possible that we were spun up at the time," Jason said. "I don't remember hearing anything about a foster parent murdering her own child in Virginia Beach."

"We didn't live in Virginia Beach," Clay mumbled drowsily, eyes still closed. "We were in the country somewhere. There was a barn with animals, and no close neighbors."

"Do you remember the mom's name, Clay?" Jeff asked.

"We called her Miss Sandra," Clay answered, more than half asleep.

"Do you know her last name, honey?" Trent questioned.

"Parker," Clay whispered, curling further into Trent. "She had a husband. Or a boyfriend maybe. He was Jim. But I don't think he was Kelly's real dad. He didn't live at the house with us."

"Okay. I think someone has officially hit the wall for today," Trent said, stroking the kid's head. "We good to go, Doc?"

"Yes. I agree that your boy is finished for today," Dr. Jeff said.

Jason said, "Doc, I don't know how to thank you for blowing up your whole Friday like this. Clay is clearly spent, but I know he appreciates it. And we owe you big time."

"You don't owe me a thing, boys," Jeff said. "I'm just glad we were able to get this particular mess sorted out. And I'll see Clay next week for his regular appointment, assuming you don't get flown off somewhere."

"You think he's good for work?" Jason asked.

"I recommend you set the boundaries with your CIA friend before she and Clay cross paths again," Jeff said, confident neither Jason nor Trent was going to continue to ignore the situation. "Putting a stop to the passive-aggressive jabs at the kid will ease a lot of his anxiety. And now that he's thinking clearly, I'm comfortable with him returning to work Monday. Assuming he gets some solid rest this weekend. If the nightmares continue, that's a sign he may need a break."

"Understood, Doc," Trent said. "The kid's health is our number one priority. Even if I need to take leave to stay with him, if Bravo is called up, we will do whatever is best for him."

"Yes," Jason agreed. "He's not going anywhere near the field if we don't think he's healthy both mentally and physically. And if she wants to continue working with my team, I will make it clear to Ellis that Clay is off limits."

"I never had a doubt about that," Jeff said, standing to shake hands with Jason while Trent peeled the kid off his side and got him moving.

"Bye, Dr. Jeff," Clay said, looking befuddled. "Thank you for helping me today."

"I'm here for you anytime, Kiddo," Jeff promised, patting his back before walking the three SEALS out to the elevator.

Jason and his boy both slept soundly for a full two hours after they arrived home, the master chief in his recliner, and Clay stretched out on the couch with a blanket tossed over him.

Trent had headed back to base to bring the team up to speed on what had really been going on all morning, and to let them know that Jason was home spending some time with the kid. Jason had asked Trent to come back to the apartment to stay with Clay at around four so that he could go into work for a few hours to check in with the team. He also intended to touch base with Blackburn to let him know what had happened with Clay before meeting with Mandy. Jason knew Ellis would not like what he had to say, but he honestly didn't care if she was happy or not. Either way, he was done ignoring her bitchy attitude. And she was done interfering with his kid.

Jason hesitated at first to ask Trent to come back to his place to stay with Clay. He didn't want the kid to feel like a baby after the whole Mandy issue. Jason knew Clay was fine by himself in the apartment, but the kid still preferred to not be alone, even if it meant sitting on the couch with Derrick's wife watching Hallmark Christmas movies until Jason was home. Jason also intended to let him keep sleeping as long as possible, and he didn't want Clay to wake up alone in the empty apartment after the latest horrible revelation about his crazy ex-foster mother. In the end he decided to err on the side of caution. The kid was always happy to see Trent, so the master chief was fairly confident that was the way to go.

When he arrived on base, Jason decided to see Blackburn first. His commanding officer knew about Clay's abusive history and Jason wanted him to know what had been going on since the briefing. Not surprisingly, Blackburn did not see the whole Mandy as murderess twist coming.

When Jason told him what Clay had told his shrink, Blackburn was literally stunned silent. After a minute, he pulled himself together.

"The kid actually believed that Mandy Ellis was trying to kill him?" Blackburn said, shaking his head in disbelief. "She was definitely out of line at the briefing. But it's a giant leap from being bitchy to murdering a kid."

"Was she as bad as Trent claims in the briefing and the next day in her office?" Jason asked.

"Oh, she was clearly not happy with your kid," Blackburn said. "Aggressive, sarcastic, snippy. I was getting ready to remind her that she had no authority when your medic shut her down in short order. Ellis was shocked. And so was I. If it was Sonny or even you I would have expected that reaction to her bullying your rookie, but in all the years I've known him, I don't think I've ever seen Trent that angry. He didn't lose his cool or cross any lines, but as someone who knows him, it was obvious he was furious."

"Trent is as deadly as anyone in the field. But he's calm and doesn't take things that happen at work personally," Jason said. "Clay is most definitely personal to him. Trent would have made a great parent, but it never worked out for him. He loves Clay and sees him as his own kid as much as I do. And the kid would be lost without him. He depends on him and trusts him completely. He'll go to him, tell him things he's scared to tell me because even though he's strict and won't tolerate bullshit from him, he's always calm and never loses his temper with him."

"Unlike me," Jason added laughing. "If Trent didn't have my six with that kid, I probably would have strangled him by now."

"For a team who wanted no part of that runt," Blackburn smiled, "Bravo certainly has closed ranks around your kid. I never thought he could squirm his way under Sonny's skin. But let me tell you, if Ray hadn't stepped in at that briefing and shut Mandy down, The Mighty Quinn was getting ready to cause a major scene."

"Oh, I believe it," Jason said, shaking his head. "I've been with Sonny a very long time, and he keeps his big ol' heart on full lock down. Maybe it's because we are all getting old and soft, but Clay managed to just sneak in there, grab hold and not let go. And that's before we even knew how young he is."

Blackburn chuckled. "Now Sonny's gone full mama grizzly protecting her cub. I don't know exactly what happened between Clay, Brock and three kids from Delta's support team a few months back, but according to Decker, who is taking what he knows to the grave, Sonny scared the living shit out of his boys."

Jason laughed. "Yeah, well, if those boys have half a brain, they'll be taking that story to their graves too," Jason said. "Sonny promised to separate them from their voice boxes if he heard a peep about it anywhere. And we both know Sonny does not make threats he is not fully prepared to back up."

"That he does not," Blackburn agreed.

"How is the kid today?" Blackburn asked, looking concerned. "I was worried about him yesterday. He was a nervous wreck when Trent hauled him, feet dragging to apologize for his behavior at the briefing."

"Yeah. Trent said he had himself worked up," Jason said, shaking his head.

"Not only that," Blackburn continued. "He looked exhausted and white as a ghost. I went over to check on him midday, and he was out like a light curled up on a cot under that blanket Lisa found for him. Ray said he was running a little bit of a fever, and they were just going to let him sleep."

"According to what I've been told, Clay had himself a rough week," Jason sighed. "But he's on the mend now. Sleeping like a rock when I left him home with Trent to come check on things here. Apparently, he had some stomach upset that my superhero medic was once again able to sort out without a traumatic trip to the infirmary. Trent said he was restless and not sleeping well Wednesday night after being scolded, lectured and punished for his disrespect. Last night Trent and Brock had a hard time fully waking him from an intense nightmare that also included the kid cracking his head on the bed frame and giving himself a good sized lump on the back of his hard head. I'm going to keep him home and resting all weekend, so hopefully he's back to his energizer bunny self by Monday. "

Blackburn sighed, shaking his head. "We all know that Clay has the skill set to do his job in the field," he said seriously. "But, father to father, Jason, don't hesitate to keep him home or alter his training on base if you feel it's what he needs. Upper brass and analysts like Ellis see him as an asset, a tool, which is what their job requires. We see the kid who probably feels like he's barely holding it together most days. At work he's expected to keep up physically and mentally with grown men which he is not developmentally ready to do. He has suffered repeated trauma and abuse that is only just now starting to be addressed thanks to you and your team taking him in."

The older man continued, "It's pretty clear that the nightmares, impulsivity, testing behaviors, and stomach issues are all linked to his fear of being abandoned yet again. I have never seen a boy so desperately pleading to be loved, cared for and protected. Yesterday, he seemed to be trying to hide behind Trent, overwhelmed and unsure of how to approach Ellis. Which is the polar opposite of his attitude and confidence level on missions. When Trent sent him out to wait in the hall while he dealt with Mandy, Clay looked like an exhausted, feverish, child who belonged on a couch somewhere, kept home from school by a mother who would bring him juice and crackers to settle his belly and let him watch television until he fell asleep. He truly made my heart ache."

"So, what are you saying, Eric?" Jason asked. "Believe me, I know and agree. Trent knows. We all know. He makes all of our hearts ache."

"I'm saying that you have the written authority to basically do what you think is best with Clay," Eric said simply. "Use it. I will back you up. If he needs down time to be with kids his own age, let him have it. If he's exhausted from training or a mission and you think he needs to spend the day sleeping in his own bed, leave him home and let him sleep. When he is miserable and grumpy because he's running a fever and his throat is sore, or he's got an upset stomach, an ear infection or a bad cold and he's clingy or afraid to be alone, set him up like Trent did yesterday, on a cot in your cage room with a bottle of juice and his favorite blanket. There is a building full of hard ass SEALS, many with their own kids at home, who will help look out for him if needed. Including me."

The captain paused to let that sink in Bravo One's head before continuing, "And if you don't think he's in the best place physically or mentally for a mission, you don't need to leave him behind, but you can always assign him to work with Lisa or the support team. His language skills are highly valuable in a variety of areas," Blackburn said. "And if he steps out of line or decides pouting, complaining and tantrums are a good idea, you can remind your blond headed handful that the big boss raised three of his own hard-headed boys and has your back. I have no problem lending you my office if you need to deliver a humbling and painful reminder of how the chain of command works and what happens to seventeen-year-old boys who decide to act like they are seven."

Jason chuckled at the thought of the look on his kid's face when he told him to add Captain Blackburn's office as an added danger zone for his backside if he decides to pitch any on duty fits.

"I appreciate the support," Jason said honestly. "I agree, and I know Trent also feels that we need to remember that Clay is still just a kid and treat him accordingly. Having the shooting chops and language skills of an adult doesn't make him an adult. I obviously know that in my head, but sometimes I forget and have expectations that aren't fair to him."

"It sounds like you are thinking of some specific 'expectation' that isn't reasonable?" Blackburn questioned.

"Part of the reason this whole mess with Ellis blew up and got dumped in Trent's lap this week is that I have been telling Clay to ignore Mandy's snide comments rather than just confronting her myself and putting an end to it," Jason explained.

Blackburn chuckled, "Yes. Handling it yourself probably could have saved a lot of drama."

"After the confrontation at the briefing, spanking, bellyache and follow-up nightmare, Trent strongly suggested that it wasn't fair for us, meaning me, to expect the kid to know how to ignore and respect Mandy at the same time," Jason said.

"That would be tricky for a kid to navigate," his boss agreed.

"Well, that's another reason I'm here today, and not home relaxing," Jason sighed. "Ellis and I are going to put this crap to bed one way or another. And it's happening now. Before my kid steps foot back on this base or we are spun up again."

"As your commanding officer," Blackburn started, "Care to let me in on what exactly you plan to say to Ellis? So I'll be prepared to defend you when she comes complaining to me that you are being unreasonable."

"I have zero intention of arguing with her if that's what you are asking," Jason said honestly. "We both know that she has no authority in this situation, and I don't owe her an explanation."

Blackburn nodded slowly, considering his master chief's words. "You're right that you don't owe her an explanation, Jason," he agreed. "But, you have had a positive working relationship with Ellis for more than two decades. I don't think it's unreasonable for her to expect to know why you are unhappy with the current situation, since you have been straight with her in the past."

Jason scoffed. "Come on, Eric. You seriously believe Mandy doesn't know why I'm pissed off? She's a very smart, capable person with a high level career and ivy league education," Jason said. "Every man on my team recognizes that she would never have pulled this crap with Clay at the briefing if I had been there. She's been fuming since Liberia, dropping passive-aggressive remarks aimed at the kid, but she waits until I'm out of the state to blindside and confront a teenager. And unless Trent is not being straight with me for the first time ever, Clay was minding his own business, taking notes, and shocked when she went after him personally."

"That's all one hundred percent accurate, Jason," Blackburn agreed. "If she didn't know you would be livid before the briefing, the response she got from Trent made it perfectly clear that Clay is off limits. But as smart as Mandy is on paper, and as good as she is at analyzing information and locating targets, she sometimes doesn't see the forest for the trees in dealing with people on a personal level."

"You think?" Jason laughed. "She only sees Clay, and the rest of Bravo for that matter, in relation to missions and her career. The difference here is that Clay is a kid, which she most definitely knows, and that needs to be acknowledged. If she can't or won't do that, she can choose another one of the multiple, qualified, willing teams to take on her special missions."

"Are you actually willing to give up Bravo's status as the CIA's first choice for the most challenging missions over this?" Blackburn asked, surprised. The relationship between Ellis and Jason had been mutually beneficial to both her career and Bravo's status as the best of the best. Jason and his team took pride in that high level of respect among other elite teams and SEALS in general.

"If Ellis is short-sighted enough to make going mean girl on a kid young enough to be her son, who can only benefit her career, the hill she wants to die on, that's her prerogative," Jason said, calmly. "Personally, I don't think she's that reckless with her future in the CIA."

"Meaning?" Blackburn asked, knowing full well what Jason was saying, but still surprised he would be so callous toward his longtime collaborator. Bravo's commanding officer realized that even he underestimated the level of the team's Ellis directed anger over her treatment of their rookie.

"Meaning that Bravo's status among teams and in the Navy has been earned over decades. If Ellis is not able to work with us, we both know that there are plenty of capable, young men in the Agency who would be chomping at the bit to establish a successful and lucrative relationship with my team," Jason said without a hint of emotion in his voice.

"Apparently, Trent is not the only one who takes Clay personally," Blackburn said, raising his eyebrows.

"No, he is not," Jason said.

"Just to clarify," Blackburn said. "You are planning to tell our CIA liaison that you will throw her under the bus careerwise if she doesn't play nice with your rookie."

"I'm planning to tell our CIA liaison that I expect she will follow clearly established Navy protocols and the chain of command when interacting with and disseminating information to my team," Jason said. "If that's not something Ellis is willing to do, I believe my 2IC reminded her, in my absence at the most recent briefing, that she is welcome to choose another capable team for her special missions."

"You think that's an unreasonable expectation?" Jason added.

"Oh, not at all. I think everybody who knows you believes that you of all people are a stickler for Navy protocols and the chain of command," Blackburn deadpanned sarcastically. "And I have the ulcer to prove it."

"Excellent," Jason smiled, clapping his hands together and standing to leave. "We are on the same page, sir."

Meanwhile, back at Jason's place, Trent was enjoying a late afternoon filled with nothing but peace and quiet. His brother had asked if he would come hang out at his apartment with Clay because he needed to meet with first Blackburn and then Ellis on base. Jason didn't want the kid to wake up alone in the empty apartment, and Trent as always was willing to help.

Clay was sound asleep, not moving a muscle facing the back of the couch getting some much needed rest. The kid had stirred once about an hour after Jason had left, kicking off his blanket and whining in his sleep. Trent had him tucked back in and sleeping again in less than five minutes. The medic moved to the end of the couch where he sat back and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon with his feet up on Jason's ottoman. Clay was calm and quiet with his own feet in Trent's lap. The older man had one hand resting on the kid's calf while the other was gently wrapped around his ankle letting the boy know he was not alone. Clay didn't move or cry out for the rest of the afternoon. He slept soundly with the TV playing an old repeat of The A-Team in the background.

When Jason arrived home just before seven, he was carrying a large pizza and a case of Bud Light. He found Trent sitting at the kitchen table talking with Derrick who had stopped by to check on Clay before heading over to his own apartment.

"Welcome back," Derrick said watching Bravo One set the pizza on the counter. "How was New York?"

"Loud, crowded and hot," Jason answered, cracking open the case of beer and tossing bottles to both Derrick and Trent. "But I got to spend a whole week with my oldest baby, so it was good."

"Speaking of your babies," Trent said, nodding toward the couch where Clay was still dead to the world, "I almost held a mirror under that one's nose to confirm he's breathing. He hasn't moved a muscle in hours."

"Better get him up soon," Derrick warned, "or he won't sleep tonight."

"I thought about forcing him up awhile ago, but he's so wiped out from this long ass week, I'm pretty sure we can wake him to eat and shower, and he'll crawl right back in bed and probably sleep til noon," Trent predicted.

"That bad?" Derrick asked sympathetically.

"It was a shit show," Trent sighed, taking a long drink of his beer. "I might sleep until noon myself."

"I owe you big time, brother," Jason said. "At this point, I don't think it's even possible for me to pay you back, short of giving you a kidney."

"You know you don't owe me anything for taking care of the kid," Trent smiled, shaking his head. "He's most definitely not a one man job."

"Well," Jason said, "I brought your favorite pizza, so there's that."

Derrick shook his head. "Jason," he started, seriously. "I told Trent that word is out about what went down at the briefing this week. What the fuck does Ellis have up her ass?"

"Don't know, and don't care," Jason said. "I talked to her today, and we are all back on the same page."

"Meaning what?" Trent asked warily.

"Meaning, I told her straight out with no discussion, that if she has anything to say to any man on my team it goes through me, period," Jason said.

"And she just went along with that?" Derrick asked doubtfully.

"She asked if I even wanted to know what Clay had done at the briefing," Jason started. "I told her that I had heard all about it from Blackburn, my team and my kid, and that I wasn't interested in discussing it with her further. Told her that I was on leave at the time with Ray leading the team and if she had a problem, she should have taken it up with Ray at the time. Said Trent was taking care of the kid this week, he dealt with the kid's behavior and it's water under the bridge."

"Bet that pissed her right off," Trent said.

"She tried to start with accusing me of babying Clay, but I shut that shit straight down," Jason said. "Told her that as far as I'm concerned, he is a baby, and from now on, he is off limits to her. Said he's young enough to be the child of almost every man on any of the tier one teams. And I also reminded her that she's more than old enough to be his mother, and Blackburn has grandchildren his age."

"No!," Derrick said, choking on his beer. "You told Ellis that she's more than old enough to be Clay's mother?"

"Sure did," Jason said, matter of factly. "She is old enough to be his mother. I told her accommodations need to be made to take into account the fact that he is a minor. Said straight out in plain English that the passive-aggressive bullshit is done. It's against protocol for her to address anyone on Bravo or any other team directly in a briefing. She's supposed to direct all questions to the team leader who will relay any information back to her."

"And she just said, what?" Trent asked skeptically. "Yes, sir?"

"I didn't give her a chance to argue," Jason said. "I told her just what I told Blackburn. If she isn't able to acknowledge that Clay is a minor and accept that the rules are different for him, or she refuses to follow established protocol for communicating with the team, she is more than welcome to choose from the many other qualified tier one teams for her special missions. Just as Bravo is welcome to work with any other CIA liaison that might be interested."

"Oh, Shit," Derrick laughed. "Did her head spin while she puked pea soup on you?"

"Blackburn knows you told her she could find another favorite team, and that you were free to shop for a new liaison?" Trent questioned, disbelievingly.

Jason nodded. "I told him what I planned to tell her ahead of time. And he backed me up," he said. "Apparently, Sonny isn't the only grumpy old man whose heart Clay has managed to melt. He told me to use the written permission I was granted to do what I feel is in the kid's best interest until he is actually twenty, as Mandy and the Navy led us to believe when we agreed to take him on Bravo."

"Good," Derrick said. "I'm glad you told her. Sonny and Brock both confirmed to Alpha that Ellis came after the kid first and blindsided him at the briefing, which is totally ridiculous for an adult with more than twenty years working in the intelligence world to pull on a kid who isn't even seventeen."

Trent laughed, "I don't know if Sonny and Brock are the most impartial witnesses."

"Your support team backed up their story," Derrick said. "Are you saying that's not what happened?"

"Nope," Trent said. "That's how it started. Ellis definitely instigated. I'm just saying Sonny and Brock would take the kid's side no matter what he said or did."

"So Ellis started a confrontation with your kid. We all know she's been jabbing him with the bitchy side comments that we basically accepted since the Liberia fiasco and told Clay to ignore. Then, for the first time ever at work, he loses it and behaves like the kid he is, opening his smart mouth," Derrick said.

"Excellent summary," Jason said dryly. "So, what's your point?"

"My point is that Ellis initiated the whole scene, and then had the nerve to be bitchy when Trent marched Clay in to apologize to her highness. The poor kid got his ass tore up for reacting to something she started. He looked so wrecked, even Blackburn came down to check on him," Derrick said. "So yeah. I'm glad you put a stop to her bullshit."

"Okay, Derrick," Jason shook his head. "Now you sound like your wife. The poor kid got his ass tore up, because he needed his ass tore up for the way he talked to a grown adult who was running an official military briefing. I have no doubt it was painful, and I'm sure when Trent finished that life lesson, he was truly sorry for opening his smart mouth. I'll tell you the same thing both Trent and I explained to the kid. He was wrong, he got punished, it's over, and we are moving on."

Jason stood to give everyone another beer before continuing. "I just reminded Ellis that Clay is a kid, and she needs to acknowledge that and accept the rules are different for him. That goes both ways. Clay needs to understand that he is not allowed to talk to adults like he is grown, when clearly he is not. I'm not having it. And Trent did exactly what I would have done, which is toss the brat over my knee and teach him the hard way that his bad behavior has consequences that he most definitely will not enjoy."

"Look Derrick," Trent said. "I felt terrible spanking the kid because I could see how upset he was when she singled him out at the briefing. I was pissed off at Ellis too. But that was no excuse for what he said to her. Clay was off the rails. He earned that spanking all by himself. If he had kept his mouth shut as his Navy training taught him, and like he knows Jason expects of him, the kid would have had a much more comfortable night in his bed, and a much less uncomfortable ride into work the next morning."

"I'm not saying the kid didn't deserve a good spanking," Derrick said. "And we all know it truly hurt Trent more than the kid to be the bad guy and give it to him. This is why Catherine and I don't have kids. Any kid I raised would probably be in juvie at sixteen. I'm just agreeing with Sonny and Brock that Ellis was way out of line on this one. And for the record, Metal and Alpha concur."

Jason laughed. "Well if Metal concurs, the whole thing must have been Mandy's fault. He's another one that is putty in the kid's hands," Jason said, sarcastically.

"What are you guys doing in here?"

The three older men turned to see the blond topic of conversation standing in the doorway to the kitchen looking sleepy and confused.

"Hey there, Sunshine," Jason said, smiling and motioning for his kid to join him by the counter. When Clay stumbled over, Jason wrapped his arms around him, holding on tight. "I had hoped you would look a little less worn out, and have a little more color after your afternoon nap," he said, looking over at Trent concerned.

"I think maybe after a shower and some pizza and Gatorade in his belly, he'll perk up a little," Trent said. "Are you hungry, Squirt?"

"I'm cold," Clay said softly, shivering in his t-shirt and sleep pants. He turned in Jason's arms to face Trent, but pulled his protector's strong arms tighter around his body, holding on tightly to the older man's tattoo-covered forearms and leaning back into his chest seeking warmth. "Can we turn the heat up?"

"It's August in Virginia, Sunshine," Jason said, gently prying his boy's hand off his forearm so he could push back the blond mop and feel his forehead. "You're running a little warm there, Kiddo."

"Could just be from being wrapped up in the big blanket, snuggled into the couch all afternoon," Trent said, standing to get the kid some juice from the refrigerator. The medic reached out to cup the kid's cheek and feel the back of his neck. "You're definitely heated. Let's see how you feel after you eat and get cleaned up."

Clay continued to shiver in his adopted dad's arms. "I'm cold, Trent," he whined. "Your hand is freezing."

"Here you go, runt," Derrick said, standing and taking off the lightweight hoodie he had worn to work knowing the air conditioning would be cranked up in Alpha's cage room. Walking over to the kid, still huddling in Jason's arms, Alpha's medic slipped the hoodie over the kid's head and helped him get his arms into the sleeves. "This will help without over-baking you," He smiled at the kid who was swallowed up in his hoodie.

"Thanks, Derrick," Clay looked up at him with his tired blue eyes, making Alpha Two pissed off at the bitchy CIA liaison all over again. "I feel better now."

"I'm glad, honey," Derrick said, ruffling his hair as the kid leaned back into Jason's safe hold on him. "I've got to get going home. Catherine made reservations at some shmancy Italian place. I need to shower and get ready before she gets back from getting her nails fancied up. If I don't see you guys around this weekend, I'll see you Monday on base."

"The kid and I aren't taking our lazy butts anywhere this weekend, so we'll probably see you coming or going," Jason said, nodding at Derrick over the kid's head.

"We'll be around, too," Derrick said, heading toward the door. "If you need anything, or you have to go out and Shorty there wants to catch up on some Hallmark summer romance or Friends, Catherine is always happy to snuggle on the couch with her favorite kid."

"Thanks, brother," Jason said. "Let Catherine know that we appreciate her open door policy for Trouble here."

"Tell Catherine I missed her this week," Clay said quietly, closing his eyes and melting into Jason's chest. "And thanks again for the hoodie."

"Feel better, Shorty," Derrick said on his way out. "Later, guys."

After Derrick was gone, Jason turned to his medic and go-to Clay fixer. "What do you think, Trent? Food first or shower?"

Trent looked over at the worn out kid, still shivering in the boss's arms and sighed. "You up for some pizza, honey?" he asked softly. "Or do you want to try some soup?"

"I'm not hungry, Trent," Clay said.

"I realize that," Trent said, pulling out the gentle but firm tone. "But I need you to eat something before you go back to sleep. You aren't hungry because you haven't eaten much this week which ironically makes you feel less hungry over time."

Jason spoke up, peeling his kid, who felt like a furnace against his chest, off of him and pointing him toward Trent. "How about you let Uncle Trent help you get into a nice, warm shower? I'll get dinner set up, and after you are warm and cleaned up, you can get some food in your belly and we can all get to bed early."

"Sounds good to me," Trent agreed. "It's been one long-ass week. And I know the runt here has been missing you. I'm betting a nice long sleep in his own bed will make him feel a lot better come tomorrow."

Jason gave his boy a slight push in Trent's direction and a light swat on his bottom to get him moving forward. When the kid turned to give him a wounded pout, Jason just smiled and shook his head slowly. "I barely touched you, grumpy," he said. "And by now you should know you're wasting perfectly good pouting on me. You can save the sad puppy face for Sonny. And apparently now you can add Derrick and Metal to your list of potential protectors when you are in trouble."

"Sounds like you have them both in your back pocket," Trent smiled at the kid's confused expression. He wrapped his arm around Clay's shoulders, pulling him close and kissing the top of his head before leading him off toward the bathroom.

Thirty minutes later, Bravos One, Four and Six were sitting at the kitchen table quietly enjoying the pizza Jason had picked up on his way home and the salad Trent had mixed up while Clay was showering. After the kid's three day stay on the pediatric ward of the hospital in Norfolk post Liberia fiasco, Trent had insisted Clay's lunch and dinner, especially when they were home in Virginia Beach, include a green vegetable. It was recommended by the dietician on staff at the hospital to help prevent the kid's constipation, and both Trent and Jason were making sure Clay followed those instructions like it or not.

The kid did a lot of pissing and moaning at the beginning, but eventually he accepted that his boss and medic, aka adopted dad and uncle, were more stubborn than him and not likely to back down. Clay became accustomed to eating vegetables everyday, and secretly it was another example of something that he pretended annoyed him, when in truth it made him feel cared for and loved.

After dinner, Trent checked Clay's temperature and confirmed he was running a low grade fever, most likely from being worn out. He gave the kid a dose of Tylenol to bring it down to normal and told Jason to give him another dose during the night if his fever spiked. Before he headed home to his own bed, Trent told Jason he'd see him at work on Monday morning, but to call if the kid's fever was still lingering past Saturday afternoon or if it went over 100 during the day.

When Clay threw his arms around his favorite uncle's neck, holding tight for several long seconds before his comforter headed back home, Trent held him back until the kid finally released him. Then he pulled the boy close to his side and kissed his temple before reminding Clay that he could call anytime during the weekend if he needed him.

"Thanks for keeping me all week," Clay said quietly. "I'm sorry for all the mess I caused with Ms. Ellis. And talking Brock into lying for me. And getting you stuck in Dr. Jeff's office all day. I guess I was a pain in the neck, but I really didn't mean to be."

Trent smiled, shaking his head. "Well, Squirt," he said. "You're a kid, so being a pain in the neck is in your job description. But you are my favorite kid, and my number one priority, so I'm going to keep taking care of you."

"Thanks, Uncle Trent. You know I love you right?" Clay asked, looking up with tired eyes.

"You're welcome, sweetheart. And you know I love you more, right?" Trent smiled, ruffling his damp hair and pulling him in for another quick hug. "Jason is taking care of everything with Mandy from now on, so I don't want you to worry about that anymore. It's over, remember? Moving on."

Clay nodded, looking over at Jason to gauge his reaction. "It's over. Moving on," Jason confirmed.

"And Clay, I mean business," Trent said seriously. "If you don't start feeling a lot better tomorrow after a good sleep and some breakfast, or if you feel sick at all, you need to let Jason know, and he will call me. Understood?"

Clay nodded. "Yes sir," he said softly. "I promise."

"Okay, Kiddo," Trent said, taking his bag and opening the door to leave. "And if you feel like you need or want to talk about anything that happened this week or something from your list, you can call me anytime. And you can always count on that old grump in the recliner to listen and sort out anything that needs sorting. Got it?"

Clay nodded, yawning. "Got it," he repeated trudging over to the couch and crawling back under his blanket.

Jason looked concerned when he made eye contact with his medic.

"He's gonna be fine, Jase," Trent promised. "Keep him hydrated, remind him to try to use the bathroom whether he thinks he needs to or not, Tylenol if his fever spikes, and call if you need me. I'll just be lounging around the house doing absolutely nothing but watching TV and napping."

"Thanks for everything, brother," Jason said, sincerely.

"Yeah, yeah," Trent smiled before closing the door behind himself. "That's why they call me the best."

Jason left his kid sleeping on the couch and took the opportunity for a long, hot shower.

An hour later, he roused his youngest and led him back to the kitchen where he checked his temperature and texted Trent to confirm the Tylenol was doing its job. A sleepy Clay drank half a bottle of water before heading off to use the bathroom. Jason turned off the lights in the apartment and locked the door before checking to confirm his kid was tucked in for the night.

When he quietly entered Clay's room, Jason expected to find him sleeping. He was surprised to see his kid looking up at him from his bed, fighting to keep his eyes open.

"I expected to find you in dreamland, Sunshine," Jason said, taking a seat on the bed next to Clay and leaning back against the headboard of the bed.

"I missed you," Clay admitted quietly, moving close to his protector and turning on his side to rest his head on his dad's firm chest. "I don't like it when you go away without me."

The vulnerability was evident in both the boy's words and his shaky voice.

"I know it makes you anxious when I am away from home," Jason started. "But, Clay, I promise you that I will always come back to you. Do you trust me when I say that I will never abandon you or let anyone hurt you?"

Clay's exhaustion was preventing him from being as guarded as he normally would be when questioned about his feelings. "I really want to believe you. And in my head I know I can trust you. But, sometimes I can't help worrying," he whispered, adding, "I'm sorry."

"Honey," Jason said, stroking his boy's head, knowing that would put him out quickly. "There is nothing to be sorry for. Nobody purposely feels scared. But, Clay, if you talk to me and tell me when you are worried, like you did today by finding your way to Dr. Jeff, I can help you sort out your feelings."

Clay wanted to believe it was that simple, but he couldn't get past thinking that if Jason knew every time he was scared, how could his boss eventually not start to think that he was too annoying to keep around. Too weak and too much trouble for Bravo. Clay was sure that Brock didn't need a babysitter to feel safe when he was sixteen or seventeen.

Corey, Brock's brother-in-law, who was Clay's only friend his own age, wasn't worried all the time that his family might someday just get rid of him. But Corey wasn't bad like him. The only time his friend had gotten punished since Clay had started hanging out with him, it was Clay's fault for basically dragging his only friend into his mess and getting him in deep trouble with his dad who was even stricter than Jason and Trent.

Jason looked down at his boy who was currently clutching his t-shirt as if he could just hold on tight enough, he wouldn't be left alone. Everyone who had come to care about Clay knew that he held onto Jason or Trent or one of his other brothers when he was feeling scared or upset about something. It made the alpha male in Jason want to kick the shit out of every man, starting with Ash Spencer, who had ever hurt this kid currently clinging to him, still terrified of what might happen if he was left alone.

Knowing his boy needed physical contact to feel safe made the father in Jason want to wrap Clay in his arms and rock him so that he could sleep peacefully, not haunted by scary, mixed-up memories of adults who could not be depended on for consistent care or protection and could turn on him at any time without warning. Jason knew without Clay having to say a word that even now, safe in his own bed, in a locked apartment, wrapped around a highly trained Navy SEAL who loved him and considered him his own child, the wounded baby in his arms was bracing himself for what in this kid's experience was the next inevitable betrayal.

"Can you stay a few minutes longer?" Clay whispered. "Just til I'm sleeping, please, Jase. Then you can go."

"I'm not going anywhere, honey," Jason reassured his boy once again. "Yes, I will stay right here until you are sleeping. I will leave your door and my door open, and I will be in the next room if you need me. I am not going to leave you or let anyone hurt you. I'm going to be right here in this apartment while you are sleeping, and I will come check to be sure your fever doesn't pop back up, and give you medicine if it does so you can feel better. And I will be right here in the morning to make you breakfast and watch whatever you want on Netflix all day on the couch. And if for some reason I need to go out temporarily, I will get Trent or Brock or Derrick or one of the other people who love you to hang out with you and keep you company until I get back. And I will, most definitely, always come back to you. I promise."

"I love you," Clay said softly, loosening his death grip on Jason's shirt, but not letting go completely.

"And I love you more, Sunshine," Jason whispered back, moving his hand to rub his boy's back, feeling him relax and go boneless against his chest. He was almost asleep now. Jason closed his own exhausted eyes and stayed right where he was for another hour until he was confident Clay was fully asleep and he could extract himself from his boy who had gone full octopus, all arms and legs wrapped around him.

Stealthily sliding out from under his sleeping kid, Jason tucked him in tight and felt his forehead and cheeks as Trent had directed to be sure the fever wasn't spiking. Confident that for the time being Clay was sleeping peacefully, Jason kissed his youngest baby's head before quietly moving back to his own bed and some much needed sleep.