Uncle Sonny
Opening the door, Sonny stepped back, motioning the upset kid to enter his apartment.
"Hmm. What brings you here this lovely afternoon, young Broccoli?" Sonny asked, giving the kid a look which let him know his much older brother knew exactly what Brock was doing on his doorstep.
Entering and flopping down on Sonny's couch, Brock leaned forward putting his face in his hands for a few long seconds before looking back up at Sonny who was staring back at him, arms folded, leaning back against the counter separating the living area from the small kitchenette.
"Trent called you," Brock said, resigned.
"Of course Trent called me, dipshit," Sonny said, shaking his head. "You haven't figured out yet that your part-time nursemaid, part-time guard dog knows every move you and the little shit are going to make before you two supposed boy geniuses even take your first step in the morning."
"He's pissed at me," Brock said, looking like a kicked puppy. "I screwed up big time, Sonny."
Sonny squinted back at him, his expression not softening.
"Confession time, son," he said, staring the upset boy straight in the face, not yet ready to soften his expression or let him off the hook. "What did you do to rile up the man who has been your helicopter mama since the boss decided to give you a shot at moving up from the farm team to the big league?"
"What did he say, Sonny?" Brock asked. "How mad is he? I can't read him, but he sent Clay to his room and took me out to talk on the deck. And Trent's never done that to me before. Am I in big trouble?"
Sonny was silent, staring back at him. Watching him dangle.
"Come on, Sonny," the kid whined. "Don't look at me like that. I need help here."
"Oh, you clearly need help," Sonny said, mildly. "So how about you stop trying to distract and make me feel sorry for you with the big, sad eyes, and start telling me some truth."
"What truth, Sonny?" Brock almost squeaked, he was so worked up. "I don't know what either of you want me to say."
"Derrick was one hundred percent right about you, boy," Sonny said, shaking his head. "Clay may be a troublemaker, but you are the sneaky one. And Trent has your number now. So you might as well start talking. Because your jig is most definitely up."
Brock was silent, looking down at Sonny's floor. He'd fucked up, and he knew it. Trent was right. He'd let the kid think sneaking around was okay with him, it backfired, and now they were both going to be in deep shit with Jason. And it was his fault for acting like an immature kid instead of the adult, tier one operator they all expected him to be.
Sonny stood like a statue. He knew Brock was a great kid at heart, and raised to be a rule follower. Whatever he did couldn't possibly be as bad as the kid seemed to think.
Sonny suspected exactly what Trent was worried about had already happened. He and Clay did something stupid that they thought was harmless, it got out of hand somehow, and now they were in cover-up mode because they didn't want to face the consequences of their bad choices.
Sonny knew Brock was caught, overwhelmed, and soon to be coming clean with him. The kid didn't show up on his doorstep to enjoy his sparkling conversation. He came to confess.
"I did something really stupid and irresponsible, Sonny," Brock said, looking up at him desperately. "Trent doesn't know anything about it, but according to Clay, Derrick found out somehow. Apparently, he's known for a while, but hasn't ratted us out to the boss. It didn't seem like a big deal at the time, Sonny. It was stupid, immature kid stuff, but Clay panicked and lied to Jason. And then I lied straight to the boss's face to back-up Clay's lie."
"Yup, you're fucked," Sonny said solemnly.
"Come on, Sonny," Brock pleaded. "I need you to help me."
"Help you how, Brock?" Sonny said calmly. "You think I am going to lie to cover your lie? That Trent is going to lie to Jason to cover for your lie? Or Clay's lie? You truly are a dumbass kid if you think that is ever going to happen. We are grown men on an elite tier one level SEAL Team in the fucking United States Navy. We don't lie to our master chief, team leader, boss and brother to cover up anything. Not ever."
Brock was silent.
"I thought you understood that. Trent thought you understood that. And I guarantee Jason thought you understood that, or there is zero chance you would be on our team," Sonny said sternly, stopping to glare at his panicking baby brother. "You are going to tell me every detail of exactly what you did to get yourself in this situation. And then you are going to tell Trent, and you are going to tell Jason. Or you can bet your ass, I am going to tell him."
"And as bad as you think this is, son," Bravo Three said, quietly, "It will be so much worse, possibly life altering worse, if you don't respect Jason enough to come clean yourself."
Sonny walked silently to the refrigerator and opened a bottle of water, handing it to the kid who looked like he might puke or pass out.
"Start talking, Brock," he said.
Two hours later, Trent came out of his spare room from checking to be sure Clay was sleeping soundly to find Sonny at his kitchen table drinking a Bud Light. His brother for life reached in the open case he had set on the table and handed him a bottle.
"A whole case," Trent observed with no emotion, sitting down across from Sonny and opening his drink. "I assume you come bearing bad news."
"Oh, it's sure as shit bad news for your boys," Sonny said, shaking his head solemnly. "I wouldn't want to be in either of their shoes when they come clean to the boss. And I made it perfectly clear to Bravo Five, that he and the rookie are most definitely coming clean."
"So, I dropped the ball and was too late with my lecture," Trent said, shaking his head and taking a long drink. "They already crossed the line."
"Brock most certainly did," Sonny said. "Clay's role is murkier because this particular nonsense was thankfully not job related. He definitely fucked up and is going to get himself the ass paddling he deserves, I have no doubt. But in his case this is a boy facing his dad when he's made a typical kid's bad choice."
"And Brock?" Trent asked, already knowing where this was going.
"As you predicted," Sonny said. "Brock's blurring the lines with the kid got away from him. Then he panicked and lied to Jason to cover for Clay. And we both know that is a very big deal the boss is not going to take lightly. Especially not after he punished him not even two months ago for not being honest with him. And this was a direct lie to his face."
"Fuck," Trent said, setting down his beer and shaking his head.
"Oh yeah," Sonny said. "The only reason I think the boss won't knock his stupid ass back down to SEAL level is that it was completely unrelated to work. But we both know he absolutely could if he wants to. Jason has final say who is on Bravo, and he doesn't need to justify knocking a twenty-four year old kid who has been tier one for less than eighteen months back down if he decides he's not up to the job. It's his call. And Brock knows it."
"What exactly happened, Sonny?" Trent asked quietly.
"That's the worst part, Trent," he said, throwing up his arms in frustration. "It was a completely stupid-ass, childish, impulsive fuck up. And I scared the living shit out of Brock today, but I understand why he did it. For the same reason I let the kid leave the infirmary without getting his shot. Because I don't want to see him cry, and neither does Brock."
Sonny took another drink before continuing.
"I assume you remember a few weeks back when Jason was fit to be tied because his favorite putter that Emma and Mikey got him for Father's Day ended up missing?" Sonny asked.
"No fucking way," Trent said. "That's what this is about? What happened to the putter?"
"Golfclub baseball," Sonny said. "Have you ever heard of anything so stupid ass? Dumb and dumber decided it would be a good idea to 'borrow' the boss's putter which Brock says they had no idea was expensive or a gift from his kids. They then took it out to the backlot by the dumpster for a little golfclub baseball game. Clay knocked one out of the park, an actual baseball mind you. Not a tennis ball or a wiffle ball. He hit the hard ass baseball with the putter and, surprise, it broke in two."
"I know Clay is an impulsive, hyperactive kid, but I just can't wrap my head around Brock doing something so ridiculous," Sonny said, shaking his head in disbelief. "When Jason confronted Clay about the missing putter, and he realized it was a gift from Emma and Mikey, he panicked thinking he was going to be in serious trouble and blamed it on that kid down the hall Jason already doesn't like."
"Let me guess," Trent said. "Then Clay ran to Brock and begged him to lie as well."
"You are correct," Sonny said, lifting his bottle. "According to Brock, the brat was in full meltdown mode. Afraid Jason would hate him because his 'real' kids gave him the putter. Worried he was going to get his naughty ass blistered. Sure Jason was going to think he was bad and not want him. We've heard it all before."
"Jason asked Brock directly about this missing putter?" Trent questioned.
"Brock says that Jason suspected Clay was behind the disappearance," Sonny said.
"The boss had left the kid with Brock earlier that day because he had to be at some meeting with Ray and Blackburn. So thinking the kid's whole story sounded fishy, Jason asked Brock if Clay had something to do with the missing putter. So, instead of just admitting he and Clay broke it, apologizing, replacing the putter, and accepting that he was on the shit list for the next month, Brock decided to back up Clay's story."
"And I assume Brock justified this to himself because he knew the kid was going to be mad at him for snitching. And sent to bed pouting, with a blazing backside and no dinner, which we both know he absolutely deserved for lying to save himself, and framing an innocent kid." Trent shook his head.
"I told Brock there was zero justification, and not to even think about trying to explain himself to the boss because he was going to piss him off even more," Sonny said. "And I also told him that I hope he and his partner in deceit now realize that if they had manned up and told Jason as soon as he got home that they broke the putter screwing around, he'd surely be pissed, but Clay would most certainly not be getting his butt worn out."
"Brock knows the boss better than that, and so does Clay," Trent scoffed. "Jason has never spanked Clay for breaking things accidentally or acting like a normal kid. The reason he was going to get it then, and he will most definitely be getting it worse now, is because of the lying. Not because of the broken putter."
"Oh Brock knows that," Sonny said. "And he claims to have told Clay that if he hadn't lied, his butt wouldn't be in jeopardy. But he says the kid had already spun the tangled web, and like a dipshit kid himself, he lied to cover Clay's lie and now both their asses are going to be sorry."
Trent just shrugged. "It's done now," he said. "And you're right. Brock and Clay need to both come clean and take the heat."
"This doesn't surprise me at all coming from Clay," Sonny said. "When I was sixteen, I drove my daddy's lawn mower into a ditch and broke the axel racing my bucktoothed, dumbass cousin through our neighbor's field. And then the two of us dragged it back to the shed and tried to act like we had no idea what happened when he went to start the mower which was covered in mud. Unfortunately for us, the neighbor's wife saw us tearing through her field and called my mama."
Trent laughed. "Bet that didn't end well."
"No, it did not," Sonny chuckled, opening another beer. "My daddy hauled us both out to the barn and whupped' our bare asses while we squalled and hollered like little girls. Then he made us get up two hours before school started for the next month to do extra chores to pay for a new mower. Clay trying to lie his way out of trouble with his daddy isn't like disobeying an order in the field from his boss. And no one hates to see him spanked more than me, but if he legit earns a lickin', Trouble is on his own with his daddy. Jason would never hurt the kid, and we all know that. Including Brock."
"I'm surprised Brock would be immature enough to back him up," Sonny shook his head.
"I believe it after the little chat I had with the kid today on my deck," Trent sighed. "He almost lost it on me when I called him out for sneaking around and skirting the line. Started rambling about how he felt like a tag-a-long kid with us because he's so much younger, and we've been together longer than he's been breathing."
Trent paused before continuing.
"Brock said, at first he was just trying to help out with Clay because the kid was constantly in trouble, getting scolded and punished," he explained. "He understood Clay was bored and lonely with no friends his age, because he felt the same way sometimes. But then, Clay started to seem like his own little brother."
"They aren't that far apart in age," Sonny shrugged. "Brock was probably in second grade when Clay was born. We were in our thirties."
"Sonny, in five years," Trent said. "Brock and Clay will both be in their twenties. Tight as we are now, and operating together. The rest of us will be out of the field, either retired or working on base as instructors."
"I guess it makes sense," Sonny shrugged. "I mean we all know Brock is still a kid, even if he can vote and be a Navy SEAL. He and Katie can't even rent a car. He could be our kid as easily as Clay. We were both in our twenties when Brock was born."
"He's just so quiet and easygoing. Does whatever he's told with no fuss," Trent said. "He's such a good kid. But in retrospect, we should have known he would feel like the odd man out on a tier one team of guys, all but Ray in our mid to late forties."
"And Ray is getting close to forty himself," Sonny agreed. "Consumed with his wife and kids when we aren't in the field. And Metal, Derrick and Josh are just as old as us."
"Exactly," Trent said. "And we all know Brock struggles to find his place back at home because Katie has her own friends and support system that she needs being a young SEAL's wife with no kids to fill her time."
Trent took another long drink, thinking about the situation.
"I should encourage Brock to get to know the support guys better when we're not spun up," Bravo's caregiver thought out loud. "They're his age, and all close. Assuming Jason doesn't lose his temper and move him back down, we need to have him spend more time with those kids."
"How do you think Jason is going to react?" Sonny asked. "He confides in you, trusts you especially when it comes to dealing with Brock and Clay."
"He's most certainly going to be pissed. But, I don't think Jason will do anything to hurt Brock's career in the Navy," Trent said. "And getting kicked off Bravo would be a mark on him forever. Whether it was a good idea or not, the boss let himself get emotionally attached to Brock even before Clay came along. After Emma and Mikey took off on their own, he let Brock in. Started seeing him as a son. And Brock latched on to him too. He was showing up at Jason's place, hanging out, eating dinner, long before we got the new baby."
"I agree," Sonny said. "I passed bad cop and went straight to psycho cop with Brock today. Poor kid looked like he was going to vomit, piss himself or both when I finished with him. Told him that he'd be lucky if the boss didn't have his cage cleaned out by Monday."
"Did he lose his shit?" Trent asked, already knowing the answer.
"Of course he did," Sonny said. "You know this team is your kid's life now. We're the only brothers he's got less than 3,000 miles away. And can you imagine having to face his young wife's daddy, The Colonel, who already thinks the kid is not in his baby girl's league? And tell his own parents back in California he got booted off Bravo. And the humiliation of having to go back down to the older, more experienced guys who Jason and Ray passed over to put him on a tier one team. He was wrecked."
"Jesus, Sonny," Trent bitched, clearly concerned. "You sure as shit better not have told Brock all that and then left him on his own. He's a fucking kid who we've already established is capable of making immature, impulsive mistakes. And you are right that Bravo is his life. And there's nothing he hates more than being a disappointment to Jason and his big brothers. Where the fuck is he now? I told you to sort him out, not put him over the edge. We both know that Jason isn't going to destroy him like that for lying to save his little brother from being punished."
"Relax Trent," Sonny said. "I'm not an idiot. You just said this morning that I'm more perceptive than you thought."
"Yeah well, I'm rethinking that," Trent said, glaring at his brother. "Where is he? What do you mean by 'he was wrecked'?"
"I mean he was wrecked," Sonny said calmly. "He broke down. Started bawling and hyperventilating. I had to bust out a paper bag and the sniper breathing drill we use on the baby when he's having a full meltdown. But, not to worry. Uncle Sonny got him calmed down. He passed out on my couch, Clay style, and slept for an hour until I woke him up because I knew Katie would be looking for him soon."
"Passed out from hyperventilating?" Trent said, standing to get his jacket. "Or hit the wall and fell asleep, Sonny?"
"The latter," Sonny said. "And I drove him home myself after he took a shower and pulled his shit back together. I told him that he needed to face the music with the boss, but if he apologizes and takes whatever punishment Jason decides to dish out like a big boy, I really think the boss will keep him on the team. But I also told him that he damn well better remember and think about how he's feeling now before he ever thinks about lying to the boss again. For any reason."
"Did you leave him home alone?" Trent asked.
"Nope," Sonny said. "His perky wife was home from high school."
"Does she know?" Trent asked.
"Not when I left," Sonny said. "But, I did pull her aside when the kid went out to drag in some box from her car. I told her that he was upset and having a hard day. I made her promise to call you or me immediately if he needed us or if she was leaving for any reason. Katie said she'd be home all night and that they were planning to order pizza and watch Netflix."
"I'm going over to check on them," Trent said. "If he tells her and she gets upset, she might take off to her sister's place or worse, go to her parents. And I don't want him home alone, or the two of them over there in full panic mode that their future is in jeopardy over this. They bought that house based on his tier one salary, getting demoted would impact their entire lives. I need to be sure they're alright and not blowing this out of proportion."
"I thought you might be heading in that direction," Sonny said. "Can I order pizza for me and the kid or is his belly not ready for that yet?"
"Pizza should be okay," Trent said. "Just get his pizza with plain cheese, nothing spicy. And you can let him sleep another half hour, but if he doesn't wake on his own, get him up. He needs to take the antibiotic pill with his dinner, and drink a full bottle of water. Don't let him leave the table without drinking the whole bottle. If his temp is above 99, give him Tylenol. It's been hovering between 99 to 101."
"Got it," Sonny said. "Don't worry, I'm on the case."
Trent rolled his eyes. "That's a comforting thought," he said, sarcastically. "And Sonny, do not mention any of this to Clay. Not Brock being upset or them being in trouble. He's still sick. Jason won't be home until Friday, and I want to talk to him after he's back about how he's going to handle this before we tell Clay he's on his way out to the barn. I mean it Sonny."
"I'm not going to be the one to tell the runt anything," Sonny said. "I already cried like a baby when I had to spank him myself. I'm hitting the Bulkhead and Foxy's with Metal when Jason takes care of business with the babies."
That got a laugh out of Trent. "You are a big ol' softy Uncle Sonny," he said, shaking his head and walking out the door.
When Trent arrived at Brock and Katie's place, they weren't in panic mode, but they definitely looked concerned. And there was no pizza or Netflix as far as the medic could see.
"You both need to try to relax and think this through calmly," Trent told them. "I know Sonny went scorched Earth on his description of Jason's reaction and the repercussions of your bad choices, and Brock, he's absolutely correct that if he wanted to, Jason could demote you back to a regular SEAL team. Sonny and I have both been with Jason since before the two of you were born, and we know him well. Neither of us think he will do that to you, especially since this whole ridiculous shit show you and Clay created was in no way work related."
"And Jason loves you like his own," Trent said, sincerely. "Even if he did decide you aren't ready maturity wise for a tier one team, he would never cut you out of his life. And I hope you know that absolutely goes for me as well. You are still my kid whether or not we are on the same team."
"But, Trent," Katie said, nervously. "You think Jason will keep him on Bravo?"
"I do, sweetheart," Trent said, smiling at her.
Turning to Brock, Bravo's medic continued.
"The boss is going to be rightly angry. Lying to your team leader, on or off the field, is completely unacceptable. And there will be punishment for both you and the kid, Brock. Which for the record, I think you both absolutely deserve," Trent said sternly. "But, I don't think he'll do anything to risk your future with the Navy."
"What do you think I should do now, Trent?" Brock asked nervously. "You know the boss better than anyone."
"Son, you need to do exactly what we all know you should have done from the beginning," Trent said. "Go to Jason and come clean. Tell him that you lied to him like a kid without thinking of the possible repercussions. That you accept responsibility for the entire thing as you are an adult and surely old enough to know better, and that you will accept whatever consequences he decides to dish out."
"What about poor Clay?" Brock said, feeling guilty. "I'm not the only one in trouble here."
"Poor Clay got himself in trouble by lying to his dad," Trent said. "That's on him. Lying yourself trying to save him from being punished, is one hundred percent on you. Like all kids do sometimes, Clay messed up and made a bad choice. He deserved to be punished for lying and trying to blame his mess on another kid. He made his own bed, and you should have let him lie in it."
"He's going to feel like I betrayed him going to Jason at this point," Brock said. "And we both know he's gonna get his tail scorched good."
"This is exactly what I warned you about Brock," Trent said seriously. "If you hadn't been sneaking around and letting Clay get away with silly nonsense, he would not have tried to get you to go along with his lie. Do you think that kid would ever try to convince me or Sonny or Ray to lie for him? Absolutely not. We all love him and baby him when he needs it, Brock. But we also reinforce the expectations for his behavior, and we back up Jason no matter what. Jason is his guardian on and off the field. It's his decision how to handle Clay. And if he decides his kid needs to get his butt worn out, that's between Jason and Clay. Period."
"Trent's right, Brock," Katie said. "You are supposed to be his big brother and role model, not his playmate. That's what he has Corey and JJ for. He needs you to be his friend, yeah. But a friend who looks out for him, keeps him from doing reckless things, makes him take responsibility for his bad choices."
Katie took his hand. "When I'm with the kids at school," she said. "It's hard for me too because they are only a few years younger than me. And they try to test me and see what they can get away with all the time. But I have to remember that no matter how much I care about them, they need to know that I'm an adult. I can't lie to their parents even if I feel bad that they might get punished at home for acting up in school."
"You're right," Brock said strongly "You are both right, and I am going to do whatever I need to do to fix this mess with Jason. And I will make sure that Clay understands the expectations and boundaries. This will never happen again. Bravo and my brothers mean everything to me. And Katie makes sacrifices every day for my career. I love you both so much, and I will not let you down. I screwed up, and I am going to be the one to sort this out with the boss."
When Clay stumbled out of his room, rubbing his eyes, the kid was surprised to see Sonny sitting at the kitchen table reading the newspaper.
"Where's Trent?" the kid croaked, his throat dry and scratchy.
"Well, hello to you also, Runt," Sonny teased, standing to get the boy a bottle of Gatorade and ruffling his curls. "I'm so glad to see that you are happy to see your Uncle Sonny here and ready to take care of you."
"Hi Sonny," Clay smirked. He took a long drink of his favorite blue Gatorade and sat down across from him at the table. "I"m happy to see you here and ready to take care of me."
"That's better," Sonny chuckled. "I ordered us up some pizza. Grumpelstiltskin had to run out for awhile, but no doubt he'll be back soon. So you need to take your medicine, drink your water like a good boy, spend some quality time in the bathroom emptying out your bladder, and then you and I are going to crash on the couch and watch some TV while we enjoy our pizza and fried dough."
Trent arrived home later that night after taking Brock and Katie to dinner in an attempt to get them out of the house and talking about something other than what the boss might or might not do when he heard the true story of the missing putter. Sonny and Clay were on the couch watching one of the early Fast and Furious movies. More accurately, Sonny was watching the movie. Clay was curled up against Uncle Sonny's side, asleep with his head on a pillow in his older teammate's lap.
"Your boy tried unsuccessfully to wait up for you," Sonny chuckled softly, rubbing Clay's head. "You're right that he's still beat. This bladder infection knocked our runt on his little ass."
"Did he need the Tylenol?" Trent said, palming the kid's forehead to check for fever.
"He did," Sonny said. "I checked his temp before dinner, and he was back up to 100.5. He took the antibiotic and Tylenol without a fuss. Drank his water as directed and ate a fairly good dinner. He and I played some Scrabble, and I kicked his ass."
"No chance you legitimately beat this kid at Scrabble Sonny," Trent scoffed.
"I taught him how to play 'Curse Word Scrabble' like we did back home when I was a kid," Sonny laughed. "Turns out I still have the filthiest mouth in town."
"Nice, Sonny," Trent said, shaking his head disapprovingly.
"Hey, I'm just trying to prepare him for life in the military," Sonny said. "The only kids his own age he knows are Saint Corey and Josh's kids who are basically on a choke leash. How is he going to learn how to curse like a sailor if not for me?"
"I don't know Sonny," Trent said. "Where did you develop your extensive x-rated vocabulary?"
"I learned the old fashioned way," Sonny said, sliding carefully out from under the kid without waking him. "On the street."
"Yeah, Sonny," Trent said sarcastically. "I'm sure you were hardcore gangster growing up on the mean streets of Old Dora,Texas back in the day."
Trent turned to wake the kid and get him moving towards his own bed. "Come on, kiddo," he said, shaking the kid and getting him on his feet. "I heard Snoop Dog here took you down in Scrabble."
"Sonny says he won," Clay yawned, leaning against Trent seeking warmth. "But I never even heard of some of the words he came up with, so he may have been cheating."
"What?" Sonny said, appalled. "I don't need to cheat at Curse Word Scrabble. I am the champ."
"Just remember, Shorty," Trent warned. "I do not recommend trying out any of the new words Uncle Sonny introduced to your vocabulary within earshot of the boss. Unless of course you want to be sampling the collection of Irish Spring he keeps in the drawer next to Mr. Spoon."
"Ugh," Clay grimaced. "That stuff tastes like hot, soapy, rancid, yuck." He leaned back against Trent, pulling the older man's arms around him from behind like he was wrapping himself in a sweater.
"You cold, honey?" Trent asked, rubbing his arms to warm him. "Sonny said you needed some Tylenol at dinner."
"A little, I guess," Clay said, yawning. "I'm tired, Trent. Is it time for bed yet?"
"I'll see you later, Trouble," Sonny said, tousling the kid's messy curls. "I'm gonna head out so Uncle Grumpy here can get you tucked in for the night."
"Night Sonny," Clay said, clearly worn out. "I love you."
"Love you too, naughty," Sonny smiled, waving at his brother and the kid while heading out the door.