Author note:

It's been a while. I hope you like this newest glimps of Clay & Emma.

CH 25-Biggest Fan

Clay checked his watch as he pulled into the driveway. Almost 4 pm, Em and the kids should be home. He couldn't wait to see them. He'd been gone a little over a month this time. He knew he missed Quinn and AJ's first day of school. He hurried to the door and knocked. There was no answer. Maybe Em was busy, but as he peaked through the front window, he couldn't see anyone inside. Pulling out his keys, he unlocked the door and stepped inside.

"Em! Hey, I'm home."

Still no answer.

"Anyone here?"

He went over and opened the garage door. Emma's car wasn't there. There were of course, any number of reasons why his family wasn't home. He knew that life went on with out him while he was gone, and they didn't just sit around waiting for him to return. Still, he was a little disappointed. He always looked forward to being welcomed home by his wife and children. With a sigh and shrug of his shoulders, he went to retrieve his bag left by the front door.

Instead of heading upstairs and laying down in his own bed to rest, like his body wanted to do, he took his duffle to the laundry room and started to unpack. He would get his laundry going and see if there was anything he for him to eat. He poked around the refrigerator and pantry, but there wasn't much there. He hadn't eaten since around lunch the previous day and anything sounded good at this point. Grabbing some bread, a jar of peanut butter and the strawberry jam, he made himself two sandwiches. He inhaled both, followed by a huge glass of milk. His hunger assuaged, he sat down on the sofa "just to rest his eyes," while he waited for Em and the kids. In a moment, he was asleep.

It had been a long day for Emma, and she was happy to be heading home for the evening. Thinking ahead to what to do for their meal, Quinn's happy squeal surprised her.

"Daddy!"

At the same time, she saw Clay's truck in the driveway. She felt an invisible weight lift from her shoulders. The same way she always felt when she knew he was home safe from another mission.

"Yep. It looks like Daddy's home."

Quinn cheered and AJ clapped his hands. She carefully negotiated her way around Clay's truck and into the garage. Before she could even turn off the engine, both kids were out of their booster seats and pulling at the door handles. It was a good thing they had those child locks.

"Just a minute."

She grabbed her purse and hopped out and opened the back door. Quinn jumped out and ran to the door in a flash. Emma helped AJ down and he tumbled after his sister. Taking the time to grab their bags and her purse, she soon followed them into the house.

When she entered, she could hear Quinn's excited chatter coming from the living room.

"Grace plays with me at recess, but at school she gots a different teacher than me."

Walking in, she saw Clay laying on the couch with AJ perched atop his stomach, and Quinn half lying on his chest. He was trying to follow Quinn's tales, while also giving AJ his share of attention.

"How's kindergarten, Buddy?"

AJ was more circumspect than his sister. But none the less, excited to fill his father in on his first weeks at school.

"There's a big slide on the playground."

"Really? Is it fun?"

The five-year-old grinned and nodded his head enthusiastically. At the lull in conversation, Quinn jumped back in with more childish banter. Before she could go any further, Emma came into his field of vision, and he tried to sit.

"Let your Daddy get up you two."

They scooted off him but remained right there next to the couch, not allowing her anywhere near him. They both laughed as the children started back in on their tales.

"Just a minute. Let me say hello to your mother."

Finally moving back, he had room to stand. Emma stepped closer and he took her in his arms.

"Welcome ho…," the last of her greeting was muffled by his lips covering hers.

Quinn giggled and AJ watched as the familiar sight of their parents' affection played out in front of them. With a few chaste kisses, Clay released her.

"It's good to have you home."

"It's good to be home."

She stroked his cheek and could see the exhaustion still gathered around his eyes. After allowing the kids a few more minutes with their father, she ushered them into the kitchen. She set them up with their after-school snacks. Clay could hear her slicing up fruit and pouring their drinks. Then he heard her close up and put away the jars he left on the counter and then rinse his plate and glass, placing them in the dishwasher. He felt a pang of shame at his laziness in leaving a mess. She had enough to do without cleaning up after him. She returned to him, smile wide.

"Sorry about the mess, Babe."

Emma waved it off. The small inconvenience was of no concern to her. She was just happy to have him home again. She sat next to him, wrapping her arms around him, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry that PB&J was all you could find. I meant to go the store today after I picked up the kids from school. But I got pulled into an unscheduled discussion about a student."

"Hey, anything that doesn't have a layer of sand on it is a gourmet meal for me."

She chuckled and kissed him on his Bravo tattoo that stuck out from the sleeve of his t-shirt.

"Well, you might have to settle for hot dogs or chicken nuggets for dinner. I'm not sure we have anything else."

He leaned in and kissed her.

"That sounds perfect. Especially if I get dessert later."

She laughed at his eyebrows wiggling up and down.

"I think that can be arranged."

Just as she started to pull his lips to hers again, AJ called out for her. Rolling their eyes, they both got up and headed to the kitchen. With snacks in their bellies they were begging Clay to go outside and push them on the swings.

"Let's let your Daddy rest. He's tired from work. Why don't we all watch a movie instead?"

"No, Em. I'm fine."

He pulled himself up and offered Emma his hand. He missed so much already. He wasn't going to let this opportunity to spend time with his family slip by. They followed the kids through the patio door into the back yard. They played until it was dinner time. Emma went inside and wracked her brain to figure out what they could have. Laughing she realized it really was going to be hot dogs. When she called outside to let Clay know, he had an idea to make it special.

"Why don't I get the fire pit started and we can roast them out here?"

Both children cheered and Emma nodded in agreement.

"I'll find the roasting forks."

Clay went to the shed and fetched some wood and kindling. Laying it in their brick fire-pit, he explained his process to the kids and reminded them of their fire safety rules. Emma watched the trio through the window. The children watched his every move and hung on each word. She loved to see them together. The little things he did, without even thinking, like a lesson on how to safely build a fire, imparting his knowledge.

The flames licked at the wood and soon a robust fire was crackling. Clay went back to the shed to fetch their chairs with AJ's help. Quinn stood dutifully watching the fire, never leaving it unattended as her father said. The four chairs sat in a circle around the glowing flames. Emma emerged from the house carrying a tray overflowing with their supplies. Clay hurried over to her and relieved her of the burden. He sat the tray on the patio nearest the brick pit and handed out the contents. There were cups of lemonade for each child, a chilled tumbler of wine for Emma and a cold beer for him. The four plates held carrot sticks, chips a hot dog. Quinn placed hers on her roasting fork held it over the flames. Emma took care of hers and a couple for Clay while he helped AJ.

Soon dinner was over, but the night was still young, and no one wanted to leave their comfortable spots. It was a cloudless night so Clay began to point out the star formations above them while Emma took the dirty dishes into the house. Before rejoining her family, she stopped to get her guitar.

When she re-emerged, both Quinn and AJ were cuddled on their father's lap, held securely in his strong arms. Emma sat down and tuned her instrument. Quinn immediately started making requests.

"Sing the Sunshine song."

She smiled and began to strum the strings.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine."

Emma sang through the short song a few times before ending the tune.

"Twinkle Star," AJ requested

"Okay, but you all have to sing too."

She began to pluck out the chords while the kids started the lyrics. Playing a few more childish favorites, she switched to some softer tunes meant to lull the little ones. It wasn't long until AJ was out, his head leaning against Clay. They watched Quinn fight off wave after wave, blinking her eyes and sitting herself up straight, determined not to give in. Emma knew exactly what to do. Humming, she started a special song that she sang to her children since they were small.

"Christopher Robin and I walked along under branches lit up by the moon…*"

Unable to resist, the little girl slumped back against her father, eyes closing slowly. After the first verse, she finally fell. But Emma continued, finishing the song and making sure their daughter was deeply asleep. In truth, Clay had a hard time not succumbing himself. He knew full well how talented his wife was, but he didn't often get the opportunity to hear her strong, melodious voice anymore.

When the last sweet notes disappeared into the night, and the final sparks floated away and extinguished, he stood up slowly, careful not to wake his charges. Emma soundlessly opened the door for him, and he proceeded up the stairs toward the children's bedrooms. They worked quietly, removing shoes and socks, tucking in covers and making sure favorite blankets and plushies were within reach.

Back out in the hall Clay kissed Emma's cheek, promising to be back quickly, after he secured the house for the night. Clay checked the fire, making sure there were no latent smoldering bits that could flare up. Then he locked the patio door and checked all the other entrances to ensure the house was locked up and safe. By the time he was finished, Emma was done with her nightly ablutions and was waiting for him in bed.

He hurried to brush his teeth and then stripped down to his underwear, joining her under the covers. When he reached out for her, she immediately cuddled into him. They laid together, quietly, just enjoying him being home, safe and whole once again. As he usually did when he returned home, Clay thought about how lucky he was. Their simple cookout in the yard and hearing Emma sing was exactly what he needed. He pulled her closer and pressed a kiss to her hair.

"You sounded wonderful tonight."

She laughed quietly.

"I mean it. Do you ever miss it?"

"Miss what?"

"Singing."

"I sing all the time. I sing at school and with the kids in the car and here at home. You just haven't heard me in a while."

"But do you miss performing?"

She flipped over on her back and ran a lazy hand through his mussed curls.

"I guess, sometimes. I don't have a lot of time to think about it."

He hoped that she didn't have any regrets.

"But there is something…"

"What?"

"I think you said something earlier… about dessert?"

She bit her lip and grinned wickedly. Clay leaned in and kissed her deeply. Pausing for just a moment to look at her and lick his lips, he pushed her panties down her legs. Then he dove under the sheet with a flourish and made good on his promise.

The morning came too early for both of them. Emma got up and hurried off to the grocery while Clay managed breakfast for the kids. Promising she wouldn't be gone long, she left them each with a quick kiss.

The morning was growing later, and Emma still wasn't home yet. Deciding to enlist the kids help with the chore he assigned himself for the day, he sent Quinn off to find some older clothes, and accompanied AJ to pick out an appropriate outfit. Then, guiding them out into the back, he got them all rakes from the shed and they started in on the leaves in the back corner of the yard. Quinn did pretty well at the task, creating her own small piles dotted across in front of their fence. AJ started out well, but soon was more interested in the spiders and bugs the came scrambling out from under the dead foliage covering the lawn.

Emma heard the squeals and laughter coming from the back yard as she made her way into the kitchen and sat the bags on the counter. Before she started to put anything away, she peaked out through the patio door to investigate. The first thing that caught her eye was a giant pile of leaves in the middle of the yard. She saw the pile move and shift, then Quinn emerged from its depths. AJ's high-pitched giggles drew her gaze to the left of the enormous mound.

"Me next, Daddy! Me next!"

She watched Clay scoop him up and then swing him high into the air before gently tossing AJ into the soft mass of crackling leaves. She laughed aloud watching their son "swim" his way out of the pile. As soon as he was clear, Clay picked up Quinn for another turn. Emma opened the door and called to them before he had a chance to let go.

"Sounds like a lot of work is getting done back here."

"Mommy!"

"Hey, Babe."

She laughed as Quinn sailed into the pile and rolled her way out.

"We got all the leaves raked and the kids, well they wanted to play in it, so…"

Clay looked around sheepishly at the leaves scattered back around the grass. His neat stack not looking quite as impressive as before.

"Did you have fun," she questioned the kids.

Both nodded their heads vigorously, telling her in animated tones how much.

"I'll get this all cleaned up while the kids go on back in with you."

"How about you all stay out here a while longer. I have to put the groceries away anyway. Then I can make us all lunch."

"That works. C'mon kids. Let's get this moved over to Mommy's stinky compost pile."

He winked at Emma and the kids laughed as he teased her.

"Hey, that stinky compost heap is what helped to grow all those strawberries everyone loved this summer."

With more laughter, she returned inside to get everything from the store put away, while Clay kept Quinn and AJ out from underfoot. And, was hopefully tiring them out as well.

By the time her outdoor crew trooped inside, she had lunch almost ready. Clay ushered them to the bathroom to get cleaned up while she put their food on the table. The fresh air, play, and chores gave the children hearty appetites. Their simple lunch didn't take long. As she hoped, the outdoor activity and full stomachs burned off much of the kids' excess energy. AJ was easy to put down for a nap and even Quinn, who didn't nap anymore decided to go to her room to color and play quietly.

Getting himself a beer and grabbing a cider for Emma, he joined her on the couch.

"Sorry it took me so long at the grocery earlier. But you're never going to guess who I ran into."

Not waiting for him to speak, she continued.

"Mr. DiCarlo."

"Sorry, Em. Who's…"

"Mr. DiCarlo…my High School Drama teacher."

"Ohh, okay. How is he?'

"He's fine, still teaching. I loved his class. So did everyone, it was so hard to get on your schedule because all the kids loved him."

"Is this the first time you've seen him since you graduated?"

"No. I bumped into him once at the movie theater. But I haven't seen him since we've gotten married, or since the kids."

"Then you had a lot of catching up to do."

"Yea. It was great to see him. He's taken over the Community Playhouse too. They're putting on "Beauty and the Beast" musical this fall."

"Didn't you do that one when you were in High School?"

"Yep, back in my sophomore year."

"That could be fun to take the kids to see."

"That's the crazy thing…" she paused for a few seconds before continuing. "The lead that was going to play Belle has to move. Her husband is in the Navy, and he got new orders. I guess they have to leave in a couple of weeks. Mr. DiCarlo asked if I would be interested in stepping in."

"Are you?"

"I don't have time for all that. Memorizing lines, learning the dances, practicing. Who would watch the kids?"

He could tell those were all just excuses. Her eyes were sparkling with the anticipation of being on stage again. How ironic that this happened after he asked her this very thing. He didn't believe in coincidences.

"Well, it shouldn't take you too long to pick all that up since you've already done it."

"That's what Mr. DiCarlo said while he was trying to convince me."

She laughed and shook her head as she took another drink of her cider.

"Do you want to do this, Em?"

"There's no way…"

"But do you want to?"

"I guess, if it wasn't impossible."

"Then you should."

"How could I ever make it work?"

Clay reached out to her, and she curled next to him. He hated that she was dismissing the possibility because of the extra complications with his job and not having a dependable partner around to help carry the load.

"Em, if you want this, you absolutely should do it. You know that I wish I could promise to be here. I'll help you as much as I can. But I know your dad will help, and Maria. There's Naima, and even Mikayla would be happy to, I'm sure of it."

She sat up and he could see the excitement of possibility written in her eyes.

"Do you really think I should?"

"I do. I think you should. And I can't wait to see you up there, on stage again, Babe."

"I'll call tomorrow and let him know that I'm in."

Clay kissed the top of her head and hugged her tight.

"I can't wait to see the look on Quinn's face when she sees you in that golden gown, singing with the Beast."

She grinned in response, knowing how much their daughter loved the fairytale.

Once she agreed to take on the role, her busy life became even more chaotic. There were cast practices twice a week and then some extra time with her and her co-star to learn the blocking and dances. Clay helped when he could. Managing school pick-ups, meals, and more. Those days were few and spread out haphazardly across the weeks. At first, she felt guilty, taking from their precious time with him to go to practice. He finally convinced her that he was proud of her for doing this and that she deserved to do things that she enjoyed.

Her dad was her greatest support. He was over at their house several times a week to watch the kids and pick up the slack. On the rare occasions when his schedule didn't allow, Mikayla or Maria Lopez jumped in to help. Each one of them gladly supported her and couldn't wait to see the production.

Opening night was in two days. Emma was at the final dress rehearsal when her phone interrupted them. The rule was no phones, but without explaining exactly what Clay did, she let Mr. DiCarlo know that he had to be able to reach her at any time. She scurried down from the stage and quickly pulled her phone from her purse. Seeing Clay's name and picture on her screen had to mean only one thing.

"Hello."

"Babe…"

"When do you have to leave?"

"Now. I called Jace and I'm dropping the kids at his place on the way. You can pick them up or he can bring them home when you're finished."

"Okay."

"Em…I-I'm sorry."

It was irrational for her to be so disappointed about him missing her performance. His duty called him away causing him to miss many more important moments than a simple play. She didn't want him to feel upset at all. He needed to go with a clear conscience so he could focus and come home to them.

"There's no reason to be sorry. You can't control your schedule. Just be careful and come home safe."

"I will, Honey. I love you, Emma."

"I love you."

Ending the call, she climbed the steps back up to the stage and took her place. They ran through the rest of the show without incident. But much of the joy of the anticipated performances was gone for her. Of course, she knew that Clay getting spun up was always a possibility, somehow him missing the play had never entered into her thinking.

It was opening night and Emma washed away the butterflies in her stomach with a gulp of water. It was a packed house. Peaking out from backstage, she saw her dad a few rows back with sitting next to Maria, Ray, and Naima. Quinn sat on Maria's lap, while Jason held AJ. While she was watching she saw Mikayla and her husband arrive and find their places. Happy that at least the rest of her friends and family were there to support her, she returned to her dressing room to calm herself and get ready to go on. She was sitting quietly, running through the steps of the first dance number in her mind when there was a knock on her door. Before she could answer she heard Mr. DiCarlo's voice.

"Emma. Emma."

"Is it curtain time," she asked as she opened the door.

His face was hidden behind a huge bouquet of roses.

"No, not quite. But these were just delivered for you, and there are strict instructions to make sure you get these before you go on tonight."

"Yes. Thanks, Mr. DiCarlo."

"You can call me Anthony, you know. I'm not your teacher anymore."

She laughed as she took the vase of flowers from him.

"I'll try and remember."

"Great. About 5 minutes, okay?"

Nodding she shut the door on his retreating form and went to set her roses down. She assumed that the flowers were from her dad and the kids. When she saw the card, it took her breath. The handwriting wasn't Clay's, but the sentiments were.

Emmie,

I'm sorry I'm not there to see you. But I'm so proud of you for doing this. You are amazing! Now get out there and kick some ass. I love you!

Clay

She couldn't stop the tears from coming. She didn't know when he had time to arrange this. The fact that he thought of her and made the effort to do this and express his love and support, even if he was thousands of miles away, helped to wipe away her last misgivings. And it filled her with love for him.

The announcement that it was curtain time brought her back to the present. She hurried to check her make-up and repair any damage. Taking her place on stage, she could feel him with her. She hoped he could feel her love and support at that moment as well. She took a deep breath and smiled as the red, velvet drape rose, and the audience came into view.

The show went as well as one could hope. It was, after all, community theater. There were a few missed queues and technical glitches. But all in all, everyone was proud of their performance and the audience seemed to enjoy the show. She met the family out front, after taking off her costume and gathering her things. They couldn't say enough about her performance. The kids did indeed have flowers for her. She accepted them along with the accolades from everyone.

"You were great, Honey."

"Thanks Dad."

"I mean it. Even this guy sat still the whole time," he picked up AJ and laughed.

"Well, that's a ringing endorsement."

Everyone echoed his comments about how much they liked the show, her portrayal in particular. And Quinn was mesmerized. She couldn't take her eyes off her mother, and begged Jason to bring her back to see it again. He laughed and said he would consider it. Just as the group was about to move out the door, Mr. DiCarlo called for her.

"Emma. Good! I wanted to catch you before you left."

"What can I do for you, Mr., I mean Anthony?"

"I know your husband wasn't able to be here this weekend to see you. So…I worked with a contact to video the show. He has tonight's performance all uploaded and I will send you the link. I thought that way you could show it to your husband when he returns."

"That's amazing! Thank you."

"Well, I feel indebted to him since you said he convinced you that you could do this."

"I… I don't know what to say."

"I hope he enjoys it."

The rest of the weekend was a whirlwind with three more performances. Emma was hoping Clay wouldn't be gone too long and they could watch the video of opening night together. But when Monday rolled around and she hadn't heard from him at all, she sent a quick note along with the link to the video to him.

The team returned to base, tired and dirty. At least their excursion was successful. They grabbed plans and intel from the headquarters of an arms dealer and then used some of his stash to destroy the compound. After they turned over their find to TOC and completed the AARs, Clay went to shower. He promised the guys he would meet them in the mess for chow. He went back to his hooch, intending to grab some clean clothes and a towel. It was the first time he had a free moment since getting here. He sat down to quickly shoot Emma a message to let her know he was all right. He logged into his assigned laptop and saw a few notes from home. The first two were just quick wishes for his safe return and to send him their love. The most recent was longer and had a link attached.

Clay,

I don't know when you'll get this, or if you'll even be able to watch it. Here is a recording of opening night. Getting your message and the flowers was exactly what I needed. Thank you for always encouraging me to follow my heart. I love you!

I miss you and can't wait until you're back home safe with us.

Emma

He forgot all about the dust and grime and his sore muscles. He clicked on the link and hoped that it would work. The site spun for a few minutes but finally loaded. The screen was a little pixelated, but he could make out everyone and the sound was great. As soon as Emma was onstage, he was entranced, losing all track of time and place.

The team got a little worried when their boss didn't show up in the mess, or after they finished. They all trooped over to his quarters to give him crap about blowing them off. Everything was quiet as they approached. Vic knocked on the door.

"Boss?"

When there was no answer, he opened the door a crack and stuck his head in.

"Clay, man are you okay?"

"Shhh!"

Clay's eyes never left the screen. Music voice flowed out from the tiny speakers. Curious now, the guys crowded in behind him, trying to figure out what had Clay so intrigued. They watched as a figure clad in a blue dress and apron wondered around the set, singing about her dreams of adventure. Her voice was clear and sweet, wrapping around them and beckoning to them. When the final yearning note faded, and the spotlight went black, they were all speechless. You could hear the ovation from the audience continue as the lights came up for the next scene. Clay paused the video. Finally, someone broke the silence in the room.

"Whew! Boss was that…"

"Yep. That was my Emma."

"Wow, quite the set of pipes on her."

"Unbelievable."

"Amazing."

Their comments tripped over each other. Clay's smile nearly stretched off his face. He was so proud.

"Um…do you mind, Boss… I mean, could we watch the rest with you?"

"I guess, sure. If you want."

Vic interjected then.

"It's a little cramped in here. What if I see if we can set this up on the bigger screen over in the Rec area?"

"That sounds great. I still need to shower. I'll send you the link and be there in fifteen."

They team nodded and filed out of Clay's bunk room. He grabbed his gear and headed toward the showers.

"Vic, make sure I get a seat front and center."

"Copy that."

At home or in the sandbox, it didn't matter. He would always be her biggest fan.

*"House at Pooh Corner" by Loggins & Messina