Hi Everyone, thanks for reading, favoriting, reviewing, following, and taking interest in my story. I really appreciate it!
So, this chapter will illustrate the depth of Clay and Mia's relationship. This chapter will have a bit of a time jump to get the story going and moving forward.
Please continue to read and review, let me know what you are thinking.
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Chapter 7- Six Months
She laughed, finished her drink and got up to walk out, "nice to meet you Clay" she said before she started to walk away.
He got up and called out after her, "hey, will I see you again?"
She shrugged as she walked backwards, keeping eye contact with him, "if you're lucky" she replied before leaving.
Clay walked over to Brian, who was watching amused.
"I have to say, that was genius" Brian teased.
"You think so? She walked out on me" he replied.
Brian nodded and took a chug of his beer, "yeah, but she is above your paygrade, so the fact that she talked to you at all is hopeful" Brian teased.
"Shut up man" Clay shoved Brian.
"Dude, this is serious. I want to know how you got two women that are way above your level. First you got Mia and now you have this Stella chick. Do you think Mia will be okay with that?" he asked.
Clay nodded, "yeah, we talked about this at the beginning of our relationship when she got pregnant. As long as we are open with each other" he explained.
Brian shook his head, "dude, seriously, you got lucky" Brian stated.
Over the next couple days, Clay recovered from his night with Brian and drills by chilling with Mia and Ally.
Mia got home from work to find Clay's truck parked in her driveway and shook her head with a smile. That explains why her daughter wasn't at daycare when she went to pick her up after work.
She picked up her bags and made her way into the house to see Clay lying on the couch with Ally on his stomach, his arm around her fast asleep.
Mia put her bags in the closet and quietly covered them with a throw blanket before making her way upstairs to shower and change.
She had some stuff around the house to do. It was after Mia cleaned the kitchen and made some dinner did, she started to hear the stirrings of Clay and Ally.
Walking around the island and out of the kitchen, she made her way into the living room. She sat across from them with a smile on her face.
"Good evening" she greeted.
"Hey" Clay greeted, wiping the sleep from his face and sitting up, his arm around Ally.
She was curled around her dad, squeezing his shirt tight, cuddling into his neck.
"You doing, okay? How was guy's night?" Mia asked.
Clay shrugged, rubbed his free hand over his face. He didn't know how to bring up Stella.
Mia gave him a serious look. She could tell he wanted to say something.
"What's going on Clay? Did something happen?" she asked.
He shook his head, getting up to hand Ally to Mia who took her daughter and cuddled into her.
He needed free limbs to get up and start pacing. He was nervous about telling her.
"I met someone when I was at the Bulkhead with Brian" he said.
Mia smiled at the nervousness. "That's okay Clay. We talked about this, remember? We just need to be honest with each other and it will work out" she replied.
He nodded and let out a nervous breath. "Good, Brian made me nervous to tell you" he stated.
Mia couldn't help but laugh. "That's because no one understands our relationship" she teased.
He laughed with a nod, "yeah, I guess" he replied rubbing the back of his neck in relief.
"So, do you think that this relationship is serious?" she asked.
Clay shrugged his shoulders. "I am not sure, I mean, we just met at Bulkhead. I told her we were going to have dinner tomorrow" he replied.
Mia nodded, "that's great Clay. You know I just want you to be happy and if she makes you happy, then great" she stated.
Clay was relieved that Mia was cool about everything. They talked about this when they first started the relationship, but it was different when it actually happened.
Mia smiled at his nervousness, "let me know when you want me to meet her" she teased.
He nodded, "yeah for sure. Once I tell her about you and Ally, then yeah, I want your opinion" he informed her.
"So, are you going to go with Ally and me to get her 6 months checkup. She has to get her shots" Mia explained.
Clay nodded and got up to grab Ally out of Mia's arms and cuddled her into his chest like he was protecting her.
Mia smirked and shook her head, "are you going to be able to handle it there overprotective?" she teased.
He leant back on the couch and laid Ally on his knees. "I'll protect you from your mean mom Angel" he said against her temple, giving her a kiss there.
Mia laughed, "I would throw a pillow at you if you weren't holding my daughter" she said.
Clay just started burst out laughing and pulled Ally, so she was resting against his chest. "Your mama thinks she is so funny" he replied.
It was a great night. Mia had some chicken parmesan left over, so she made a salad, and they had dinner together while he told her about Stella.
The next day, Mia took Ally to daycare at the hospital, as she was working at St. Vincent's with Gracie. She met her at the nurse's station.
"Clay is meeting me for lunch so I can take Ally for her 6-month checkup and get her shots" she informed her friend as they collected their messages and charts.
Clay was running drills with Bravo when Jason stopped them at the top of 'The Hill' to catch their breath and take a drink.
"I talked to Adam, and he wants us to work with the new Green Team and go over some basics this week" he informed them all.
"Well, I have to meet Mia for lunch today. She is only working half a day because Ally is having her 6-month checkup and has to get her shots" Clay stated.
Ray looked up at Jason with a smirk before glancing at Clay. "How you feel about that? I was deployed when the kids got their shots. Naimah had to go on her own" he replied.
"I was with Alannah for Emma's, but we were spun-up when it was Mikey's turn. It was scary though, having to hold her down and then hearing her crying when the needle went in. I almost punched the nurse" Jason recalled his experience with a smirk at the look on Clay's face.
"Well, considering Tess is giving Ally her shots, I don't think that Mia would appreciate me punching her friend in the face" he replied.
"We'll see how you feel when your daughter is clinging to you crying" Jason teased as they continued their way up the hill.
After training, Clay hit the showers and made his way to the hospital. "Good luck" the guys yelled after him as he ran out of the building.
Clay waved them off as he got in his car and drove to the hospital.
He walked into the lobby of the ER and waved to Steve, the security guard as he made his way inside the ER. He stopped at the nurse's station.
"Hey Jen, Mia around?" he asked.
"Hey Clay, Mia is just finishing up with a patient. She should be out soon. I will page her and let her know you are here. You going to pick up Ally from daycare or do you want me to get Nicole to bring her up?" Jen informed him.
Clay shook his head, "no, I'll go get her and meet Mia in Tess's office" he replied.
She nodded with a smile and sent the page to Mia to let her know the plan.
Clay made his way downstairs to daycare to pick up his baby girl. He stood outside the window and smiled as he watched her playing blocks with another little boy.
Dora saw him first and waved him in. "Hey Clay, here to pick up Ally?" she asked.
He nodded and knelt down smiling when Ally squealed and ran to her dad with open arms. He picked her up and kissed her cheek.
"Hi Princess, did you have fun with Dora?" he asked her.
"Yes, daddy" she squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck with a hug.
"Good, let's go see Mommy" he said to Ally before turning to Dora, "thanks for having her today" he nodded to her before grabbing Ally's bag from her cubby.
"It was our pleasure. Please tell Dr. Hayes that we would have her anytime she needs us" Dora informed him.
Clay nodded, "thanks Dora" he replied before walking out.
He made his way to the pediatrics unit and checked them in for their appointment while they waited for Mia.
Clay sat in the lobby waiting for Mia to come up from the ED with Ally in his lap. He was smiling as he listened to her talking about her day at daycare.
Mia got the page that Clay was waiting for her in Peds. She dropped off her charts on the ED nurses' station before making her way through the hospital.
She walked up to Peds to see Clay sitting in the lobby waiting for their turn, smiling when she heard her little girl squealing at her dad.
Mia walked up and sat next to them in the lobby, "hey there" she greeted.
Clay smiled up at her, "hey, how was work? Jen said you were busy, so I picked up Ally and signed us in already" he informed her.
She smiled and nodded, taking her daughter from Clay, "I can see that" she teased, nuzzling into Ally, kissing her cheeks.
"Yeah, we were crazy. I had to help Connor in the OR because we were swamped, that was why I was late" she explained.
"That's okay. Ally and I had a good time talking about our days" he replied.
She smiled, "good. I heard from Dora all about Ally's Day but how was training? Jase make you guys run the hill?" she asked.
Clay chuckled, "I look that disheveled?" he replied.
Mia laughed, "you look how Jase usually does after he does something extraneous" she explained.
He nodded in understanding, shaking his head with a smile. "Yeah well, it is going to get worse. Adam reached out and wants us to run a drill with Green Team" he informed her.
She looked at him serious, "please be careful. Those guys on Green Team have no idea what they are doing. I hear them when they come in for their physicals. Little snobs" she stated.
Clay laughed and wrapped his arm around the back of her chair. "Don't worry, we are just running the basics with them" he replied.
Mia gave him a 'yeah right' look. She knew that once Bravo got with Green Team, they were going to show off.
Before she could say anything, a nurse came out from the back and called Ally's name. "Alanna Spencer" she called.
Mia and Clay stood up and followed her back into the exam room. They took their seats in the room while the nurse walked over to the computer.
"Hi Mom and Dad, my name is Robin. I understand we are here for our 6-month s…h…o…t…s, is that right?" she asked looking to update the chart.
Mia nodded with a smile, "yes that is right" she said.
The nurse nodded and pulled up the template in the chart. "Okay, which one of you is going to hold the princess while we administer the vaccine?" she asked.
Clay stood up and picked up Ally out of Mia's lap and sat on the bed in the room. Robin nodded and got up to wash her hands before grabbing gloves.
"Okay, let's turn Ally so she is facing dad's chest, keeping her arms out of her jacket" Robin said getting the medications ready as Clay cuddled his daughter to his chest, keeping his arms around her.
Robin got the vaccine ready and turned to Clay and Ally.
"Okay, daddy, which sticker are we going to get? Princess stickers or Flower stickers?" Robin asked as she administered the vaccine.
When Ally started crying, Clay tightened his hold on her and leant down to kiss the top of her head.
"I am sorry, did that get you? Let's put a bandage on it" Robin said putting a bandage on the area.
Once they were all done, Clay turned Ally around on his lap and stood up with her on his hip. She cuddled into her dad, wrapping her arms around his neck, nuzzling in the crook of his neck, whimpering.
Robin walked them out while Mia carried their stuff. Once they got to the nurse's station, Robin pulled out three different princess stickers and handed them to Ally.
"Here you go honey" she said.
Clay took the stickers and smiled with a nod at Robin. "Thanks" he replied walked out with Ally curled into him.
Mia shook her head with a smile on her face, she knew that Clay was going to be protective. "Thanks Robin, please tell Tess that I said hi" she replied.
Robin nodded "you got it" she stated.
The family walked out with Clay keeping a tight hold on his daughter. Mia walked with them out to the parking lot.
"I'll take her home in my car" Clay said.
Mia laughed and nodded, "okay, I'll meet you at home. I think Jason and the kids are coming over for dinner tonight and to check on the little princess" she replied.
He nodded and buckled Ally into her car seat and went around to the driver side of the car before he followed Mia home.
Jason and the kids were already there waiting for them. Jason was making burgers while Emma was making some salads and getting the topping ready.
Mikey was sitting at the table doing homework when Mia walked in, Clay following behind her.
"Hey, how did it go?" Jason asked seeing his sister.
Mia smiled and nodded towards Clay who sat on the couch with Ally in his arms. "He hasn't let her go since she got the shots" she said.
Jason nodded in understanding and walked over to join Clay on the couch. He looked at him amused.
"Hey man, how did it go?" he asked.
Clay kept his arms around his daughter, keeping her cuddled to his chest. "She started crying and I was about to lose it" he vented.
Jason laughed and nodded, "I told you so. She is going to be okay. That is normal" he said.
Clay looked at his boss with a smile, "yeah I guess, but she is my baby, and she is hurt" he reasoned, defending himself.
Jason just shook his head and patted Clay on the back as he got up to finish the burgers. Jason and the kids staid for dinner and tried to get Ally's mind off her shots.
"Aunt Mia, are you still coming to my game this week?" Mikey asked.
Clay nodded, "of course we are buddy. I even went to Dicks last week and got Ally a Hockey jersey with your number on it" he replied proud of himself.
"That would be so cool" Mikey smiled at his uncle.
"We have to start her early and keep her away from your aunt and her horrible tastes in sports" Clay teased.
The guys couldn't help but laugh as Mia cleared her throat, "excuse me, the Patriots and Blackhawks are amazing. Don't even start with me" she called from the kitchen.
"Don't worry Gumdrop, we got you when it comes to sports" Jason added, causing Mia to throw a dish towel at him.
"You are so horrible" Mia laughed at her brother.
The family all sat down and had some dinner. Talking about Mikey's upcoming game, the meeting with Stella and how that was going to influence their relationship as a family.
Clay had to reassure the kids that he was always going to be their uncle and his relationship with Stella was still new, but he wasn't going anywhere.
"Okay, come on guys, let's let Uncle Clay wallow with Ally for the rest of the night. We'll see you guys at the game" Jason called out to his kids from the door.
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Clay pulled into the parking lot of Stella's apartment building and made his way up to her door. He was taking her out to eat to tell her about everything.
Stella opened the door and smiled at Clay. "Hi, you look great" she greeted.
He smiled at her, "you look nice too. Are you ready?" he asked.
She nodded and grabbed her purse. "Yeah, let's go" she replied.
Clay drove them to Brio, a fancy Italian restaurant. He was nervous to tell her everything and about how she would process it.
After they over the basic pleasantries and small talk, Clay took a sip of water and cleared his throat.
"So, there are some things that I need to tell you" he started.
Stella looked up and nodded, putting her fork down to give him her full attention.
"Is everything okay?" she asked.
He nodded, "yeah, it is all good things, at least for me" he replied.
"Whatever it is, we can work it out together" she stated.
He took another chug of water, "okay, so close to a year ago, I met a girl at the Bulkhead, and we developed a relationship. Mia ended up getting pregnant" he said looking up to see her reaction.
Stella stayed silent for a minute trying to process what she was hearing. "Did she keep the baby?" she asked.
He nodded and pulled out his phone to show her a picture of the three of them, Ally dressed in a pink camo onesie that says, 'my dad owns a gun, boys beware.'
Stella looked at the picture with a smile, "she is beautiful Clay" she said.
Clay beamed, taking the phone back and putting it away. "Thanks, she is amazing. She looks like Mia, but I can tell she is going to be like me. She is always crawling and trying to get into things" he explained.
Stella smiled at the excitement in his voice, hearing him talk about this daughter.
"And how is this thing going to work with Mia and us?" she asked.
He nodded, "I already told Mia about you. We aren't in a relationship, but we are always going to be there for each other because of Ally. I need you to know that they are going to come first" he tried to explain without being rude.
Stella took a minute, taking a sip of water to give herself a minute to calm down.
"I get that. You are always going to be there for them, and your daughter is going to come first" she stated.
He nodded and took a chug of his water. "Yeah, that is the agreement that I made with Mia when we found out that she was pregnant and that is what I plan to do" he informed her.
Stella nodded and smiled, "yeah, I get that" she said, "and I am okay with it" she nodded, reassuring him.
"Great, my nephew is having a hockey game coming up and I want you to come to meet my BRAVO family. I also want you to come with me to meet Mia and Ally" he said.
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In the next couple weeks, Clay met up with Stella a handful of times. He was able to tell her about Mia, Ally, and what he does for a living.
It was hard for her to digest and process, but he needed to be honest with her. They were still going strong when it came time for Mikey's game.
Everyone was already there when Clay walked in with Stella. Mikey was already on the ice practicing when he located Jason and Bravo in the bleachers.
He held Stella's hand as he led them up the bleachers to find Jason holding Ally, dressed in her hockey jersey, her arms out when she saw her dad.
She squealed and started kicking out her legs and waving her arms around.
Clay reached over and took her from Jason, cuddling into her, kissing her cheeks, snuggling his daughter.
"Guys, I want to introduce you to my girlfriend. Stella, this is Ray, Naimah, Jameelah, RJ, Jason, Emma, Brock, Annie, Trent, Stacy, Sonny, Lisa, and this is Mia" he went down the line, introducing everyone.
Stella nodded and waved to each of them, "nice to meet you all, Clay talks so much about you, it is nice to put a name to a face" she replied, pausing to take Mia in.
She was more beautiful in person and that was something she didn't think about. Watching Clay greet the mother of his child stung more than she thought it would, especially seeing the affection and warmth he showed her.
Putting on a polite face, she tried to squash her inner ramblings and pull herself together.
"It's really nice to meet you Mia, your daughter is beautiful" she said smiling at the little girl in her daddy's arms, trying to reach for his hat.
Mia smiled, glancing with admiration at Ally, "thanks, she takes after me" she teased, causing Clay to laugh.
"You wish" he replied with a wink.
Mia just shook her head with a laugh.
At the sound of the whistle, everyone took their seats as the game was ready to begin. Clay put on some noise cancelling headphones on Ally so she wouldn't get scared by the loud noises.
Mikey took the center of the ice to the faceoff, being able to take the puck and pass it to his team member.
Once the game began and Mikey won the faceoff, the guys were up and out of their seats, cheering on Mikey and the guys.
Mia leant over and reached for her daughter. "Let me take my baby before you start freaking out" she said taking her daughter back into her arms.
The guys started yelling as Mikey slammed his body into the other teams' defensemen, fighting for the puck as they raced down the ice.
The Virginia Tech defensemen Damon had the puck caught between his skates and the boards, trying to keep it between his legs and blocking from Mikey from getting it.
"Move Asshole" he yelled.
"Hell No" Damon replied.
Mikey used his body weight to push him off just as his friend Andy grabbed the puck and passed it to Scott.
Once the puck was free and with his teammate, Mikey pushed off the boards and rushed towards the net.
As he rushed down the ice towards the net, he could hear his family from the bleachers, "GO MIKEY!" "PUSH IT BUDDY!" "YOU GOT THIS MIKEY!"
Using his family's encouragement as fuel, he raced along with his teammates to get an opening to score.
Mikey and Andy rushed the goal so there was a better chance of a two-on-one. Damon was right up there with them.
He laid out wide, so it passed Greg and sailed right to Mikey.
He stopped the puck on the edge of his stick and paused for minute to calculate his path to a goal.
Mikey rushed towards the net and controlled the puck as he raced towards the goal surrounded by his teammates and once, he got close enough and pushed the puck hard into the goals, falling to his knees from the force and adrenaline, waiting to see if the puck went in.
All of Bravo was up on their feet, holding their breath, watching the scene unfold.
When the red light on the net lit up, the crowd went wild as Mikey froze in shock. It was his final home game before the finals. They made it into the finals.
The team all rushed the ice and rushed Mikey, wrapping their arms around him. His teammates hugged him tightly.
He looked up to see his family jumping up and down on the bleachers, cheering and screaming in joy for him.
"A Nailers Goal! Scored by number 14 Mikey Haaaaayyyyyeeeessss!" the announcer called out, causing everyone to howl louder.
Mia had her phone out recording the whole scene, making sure to capture Mikey's reaction, the guy's reaction, and the announcement.
They were so excited for him.
As the team made their way off the ice and to the locker room, Mikey stopped by his family who were waiting for him in the hallway.
He launched at his dad, who wrapped him tight against him. "Great job buddy, I am so proud of you" Jason said.
"You killed this Little Man" Sonny stated.
Next Mikey moved to hug Mia and Ally. "I am so proud of you honey. You were excellent out there. I am extremely proud of you!" she hugged him, smiling as he grabbed Ally and took her for a spin on the ice.
Mia had her phone out recording as he held Ally on his shoulders and started skating around the ice.
Ally was squealing and squeezing the life out of Mikey's hair as he slid her around the rink.
After a couple rounds around the rink, he skated right back to the entrance of the ice. He walked out and handed Ally back to his aunt after kissing her cheek.
"Want to go out for celebratory pizza?" Jason asked the group.
"I already ordered pizza for everyone and made Mikey's favorite mac and potato salad" Mia said to everyone extending the invitation.
"You are welcome too Stella, if you would like" Mia added to the invitation.
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The guys had heard that Ash Spencer was coming back to town for a political tour. He was supporting a bill that would help Veterans with brain injuries.
The Brass was having him at DEVGRU to talk to the Greenies and everyone knew it was going to be tough for Clay, especially after the last time when he humiliated Mia for being pregnant.
Mia heard the news through the hospital infirmary and the DEVGRU building that Ash was going to be coming around that week.
She knew it was going to be tough for Clay, so she made her way to the Bulkhead afterwork, seeing Clay sitting with Brian and Bravo. She walked over and wrapped her arm over his shoulder, leaning on him sideways.
He looked up at her and gave her a half smile, "hey Mims" he greeted.
She smiled down at him, looking at him with concerned. "Are you okay?" she asked.
He scoffed and took a chug of his beer. "I don't want to be near him Mia" he said quietly.
Mia nodded and leant over to hug him, squeezing him to her at the exact moment Stella walked into the bar.
She stopped short seeing Clay snuggled in the crook of Mia's neck, his arm around her lower back, almost at her ass.
She took a minute before slowly making her way over. Listening to their conversation.
"You have to be the bigger man, Clay. Be the example for your daughter by being better than him. And I am going to be there for you every step of the way" she reassured him.
"I haven't talked to him since you were pregnant. I don't want to open that can of worms again and let him back into my life" he vented.
Mia nodded in understanding, "yeah, I get that. I don't want him back in your life either or ours, but I promise you that you will feel better after you see him and just get it over with" she replied.
Stella walked over with a plastered smile, "hey guys" she greeted, causing Mia to pull away from Clay, taking a seat next to Sonny.
"Hi Stella, nice to see you again" Mia greeted before standing back up and nodding to the guys.
"I'll see you guys later" she said giving Clay another hug, "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" she asked him.
He let out a breath and nodded, "yeah okay" he replied giving her a kiss on the cheek.
Once Mia was gone, Stella saddled up next to Clay. "What's going on tomorrow?" she asked.
"My dad is coming to DEVGRU, and I am going to need Mia to help me get through it" he stated.
Stella nodded. Clay told her that he had a strenuous relationship with his dad. "Do you need me to be there for you?" she asked wanting to be included.
He shook his head, causing the guys to hide their snicker behind their beer, "nah, Mia will be there with me" he informed her, not realizing how he was replying and what it was doing to Stella.
The next day, Mia worked half a day and made her way to DEVGRU to see Clay and the rest of BRAVO standing outside the conference room.
She walked right over to their group, standing right next to Clay and held his hand. He looked over at her and gave a sad smile, kissing her cheek in greeting.
Mia smiled at him, "it is going to be okay" she reassured him.
"I don't know if I can do this Mia" he said honestly.
She tugged at his hand, getting him to look at her. "Come with me" she pulled him along, "we'll be right back" she said to her brother as she pulled Clay away.
She took him to the daycare room and had him stand outside the window. She indicated inside to their daughter to was playing with Angela with the blocks. "You are doing this for her and for yourself. You are doing this so that little girl has a better childhood than you did. Put this shit with your dad to bed and be better for your daughter" she explained, smiling when Ally saw them and started crawling towards them.
Clay moved to the door and walked in, meeting Ally halfway and picking her up. He pressed her into his chest, kissing the top of her head.
"I am doing this for you princess" he said bringing her with them to the presentation.
The presentation was open to the public, so there were more people there than DEVGRU. Clay walked over and stood next to his team with Ally pressed against his chest.
When Ash stepped up to the podium, his eyes zeroed in on Ally and Clay. Mia watched Clay for his reaction.
He just kept his eyes on his daughter, his brothers at his back, Mia at his side. He could do this. He would do this to make his life and his daughter's life better.
Ash started his presentation and kept glancing at Clay and Ally as he was talking.
"I am honored to be back here to tell you guys what it's like to be a DEVGRU Navy Seal" he started.
"There is one thing that makes a SEAL successful in their missions. A motto that everyone should live by. Never leave a man behind. Empathy, integrity, loyalty, brotherhood, and strength are some of the key components that make Seals. I don't know what I can tell you as you go on this journey, but some things that helped my career is to rely on my brothers as we went through this life both in my career and outside DEVGRU. The Seals are a family and that is the only way you are going to make it through Green Team and achieve success within the Navy" he said.
Clay couldn't help but scoff when Ash started talking about family. Mia squeezed his hand, trying to keep him calm.
"I thank you all for letting me come and take up some of your day and I wish you the best of luck getting through the Seals and making it to DEVGRU" he said nodding as everyone stood and started clapping.
Bravo just stood next to each other, almost as if rallying around Clay and making sure he was good.
After the presentation and some of the guys from Green Team went over to greet Ash, he made his way over to Bravo.
He stood in front of Clay watching his daughter and their interaction. Clay handed her over to Mia before facing his father.
"She is beautiful Clay" Ash nodded towards Ally in her bright pink dress and matching headband.
"That's one thing we can agree on" he replied.
Ash turned to Mia who was just watching him. "Nice to see you again Doc" he greeted.
Mia nodded, "nice to see you too. It's too bad the only time your son gets to see you is when it benefits you though isn't it?" she replied with a slight dig.
Ash smirked at her before looking back at Clay, "you got a good one there huh" he taunted, causing Clay to tense and straighten.
This time it was Jason that stepped forward with the rest of Bravo stepping closer to Clay, pepper going to stand in front of Clay, growling at Ash.
"You said what you needed to say, move on" Jason growled.
Clay laughed, "you think I became a Seal to take after you, but actually it was the opposite. I became a Seal to erase you from my life and be better than you in the Navy. I made it and you are a flake. You pawned me off on my grandparents claiming because you couldn't deal with being a dad and a Seal. I want to let you know that I am better than you in all aspects of my life. My daughter is going to grow up and know more love because I am more of a man that you will ever be" he finally got everything off his chest.
Mia wiped her tears with one hand, pressing her daughter tighter into her chest, moving closer to Clay, wrapping her arm around his shoulder. Clay wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled back from Ash.
"The kid said what he had to say, now move the fuck on" Sonny added once Clay was done getting everything off his chest.
Ash put his hands up and walked away.
Mia and the guys turned to Clay. They were concerned for him. "You okay Kid?" Jason asked.
Clay took Ally back from Mia and nodded, kissing his daughters head. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I appreciate you guys having my back" he replied.
Jason patted his back, "we are a family, we are always going to have your back" he stated like it was the most obvious thing.
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Mandy found a couple different target packages for the guys, so they were busy coming and going on different spin-ups. They haven't been home in a couple months, so Mia was holding down the fort for Jason and Clay.
Ally was growing up so much. She was starting to pull herself up, getting ready to take off. It was only a matter of time before she started walking.
Mia hoped that Clay was home to see her start walking and hear her start talking. She was starting to babble but didn't make any sense yet.
She had her in her highchair in the kitchen with her while she made dinner. Mia put some plastic spoons and Tupperware on her table so she could play while she started cooking.
Emma was with Cole on a dinner date and Mikey was at his friend's house, so it was just the two of them.
Mia was making some chili and salad for herself, and some roasted turkey and sweet potatoes jar with some fruit cut up on her table, so she could feed herself.
While she was making chili, her phone started beeping. Mia looked over to see a text from Clay saying that they were landing and on their way home.
Mia smiled over at her daughter, "Daddy's going to be home soon" she said, putting another spoonful of baby food in her mouth.
Ally squealed and waved her hands with the spoons, splattering food all over herself.
Mia couldn't help but laugh and shake her head. "Yes, he is. You know babe, I should feel jealous that you like daddy more than me" she teased her daughter.
Ally just continued to babble, smiling and laughing, only stopping when Mia put food in her mouth.
Mia stirred her chili and put it on low so it could start to simmer and cook thoroughly. "I am sure Uncle Jason is going to come for dinner too, because you know he doesn't like to cook" she joked, laughing when Ally started laughing.
Babbling some more, Ally raised her hand up, her hand going to her blond hair, clipped back with a cute clip-on bow.
She was the carbon-copy of Clay. She looked just like him with her soft blond hair and adventurous, mischief streak.
When they heard the front door open, Ally started squealing and waving with excitement, knowing her dad was coming home.
"Mia!" Clay called as he walked in her house, dropping his stuff in the foyer, taking his shoes off before making his way into the house.
"In the kitchen!" she shouted, putting down the food before grabbing a wet towel before she started wiping her daughters face.
Ally started whining and jerking her head away from the towel, trying to get away from her mom.
Mia couldn't help but laugh, "you are fine you little drama queen!" she teased.
Clay walked in with Jason behind him, "torturing our princess I see" he said with a laugh as he walked in the kitchen and went to grab his daughter.
Mia threw away the towel as Clay unclipped the highchair tray and picked his daughter up, cuddling her to his chest.
He kissed the top of her head and cheeks. "I love you princess; I missed you so much" he said.
Mia greeted him with a hug and kiss to his cheek, "everyone good?" she asked Clay as she moved to greet her brother.
Jason helped himself to a beer before nodding, "yeah, everyone is fine. The mission was a complete shitshow, but we all made it okay" he replied taking a seat at the table.
Mia looked at him concerned, "what do you mean a shitshow? What happened?" she asked as she served them up some bowls of chili and corn bread.
Clay sat down with Ally in his lap and helped himself to some chili.
"We had to strategize multiple times because Mandy was working with another colleague who is a complete asshole and had no idea what the hell he was doing" Clay stated.
"It only made our job more complicated" Jason added.
Mia nodded, helping herself to some chili, "well, I am glad that you all made it back okay. I am sure they wanted to make it more complicated because he knew you could handle it" she tried to see the positive in things.
Clay scoffed as Jason shook his head, "we trust Mandy. She knows us and she knows how we operate" he complained.
Mia laughed, "be happy that everything worked out" she reprimanded her brother.
Jason just grumbled under his breath as he dug into his chili. Clay just started laughing as he continued eating his chili.
"Your uncle is just jealous of Aunt Mandy's new friend" Clay teased.
Jason gave him a glare, "I would punch you right now if you weren't holding my gumdrop" he replied.
Clay and Mia couldn't help but laugh and shake their heads. They knew it was hard for Jason to express his feelings for Mandy.
"Well, I have some good news for you all" she stated looking to her daughter.
Mia looked at Ally and asked, "who is that?" she pointed to Clay who was holding her in his lap.
Ally looked up at Clay and squealed, "Da!" putting her hands on his cheeks, "Da!" she leant forward to press a kiss on his face.
Clay looked at her with the biggest grin on his face, eyes wide as he looked from Ally to Mia.
"She has been saying it for a couple days and been getting mad when you don't show up" she explained, "she would start crying when I told her that you were gone" she added.
Mia smiled as she saw Clay hug Ally close to him and kiss her cheeks. "Well, I guess we know who her favorite is" he teased.
Mia shook her head, "I hate to break it you, but I think that Cole Evans is her favorite" she stated.
Clay snapped his gaze up to her, "why do you say that?" he asked.
"Because every time he watches her or is here with Emma, they are inseparable" she replied, "I think it is that he is so calm and is patient with her" she added.
Clay picked up Ally, so she was standing on his thighs, turning her to face him, "it's okay princess, we know that I am your favorite, you don't have to pretend for Cole's benefit" he whispered to his daughter.
"Da!" she squealed, curling her arms around his neck, cuddling into him as Clay smiled and went on to finish his chili.
"She is developing and progressing more than any other kid I know if she is already saying words" Jason observed.
"She is doing great. Gracie and Tess are pleased with her progress. She is starting to hold herself up and start to push herself up like she is going to take off" Mia commented.