Hi everyone, thanks for reading, favoriting, following, reviewing, and taking interest in this story.
This story is not related to what is currently happening on the show because I love Clay and I want him alive in this story. This story does not follow the show's storyline.
Please continue to review and leave me feedback!
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::;
Chapter 8- 9 Months
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.
Due to her complicated pregnancy, Mia made herself an appointment with Grace for a checkup to make sure everything was working properly.
'Not that I am using it right now' she thought to herself as she walked in the women's health lobby to sign in.
"Hi Dr. Hayes, checking in?" Amanda asked from behind the front desk.
Mia smiled at her, "yes, I have an appointment with Grace at 2:30" she replied.
Amanda smiled and checked her in with a few clicks on her computer. After a minute she looked up and nodded, handing her a form to fill out, "you're all set" she stated.
"Thanks Amanda" she said taking the checklist before going to take a seat in the lobby.
Looking over the pre-check in form, she started filling out the questions, her inner monologue on full blast.
Any vaginal discharge? Was the first question, causing Mia to put a big checkmark next to NO.
Pain during intercourse? The question causing Mia to scoff and mark No.
'Not that I would know' she thought to herself.
She hasn't had sex since before Ally was born. She was beyond sexually frustrated but what was she going to do?
She couldn't go to Clay like she did when she was pregnant. She needed Bob and she needed him badly.
"Mia Hayes" they called her name.
Mia got up and walked back with the Medical Assistant, holding her pre-check in form for dear life.
Once they got her back into the room and took her vitals, Mia sat there in a ball of stress waiting for Grace.
"Hey Bitchy, what's going on?" she asked as she walked in and shut the door.
Mia sighed, "I am okay, I just wanted a check up to make sure that everything is okay" she informed her.
Grace nodded and took a seat on the stool next to the bed. "What's going on? Are you feeling any pain? Any discharge?" she asked, grabbing some gloves to do a pelvic exam.
Mia put her legs in the stirrups and got into position for Grace to do her exam.
"No, nothing like that, I just wanted to make sure everything was healing okay. It's been over nine months since it has seen any action so, it was time for a checkup" Mia informed her friend and doctor.
Grace popped up and threw her gloves away, helping Mia sit up. "You haven't had sex since before Ally Cat was born?" she asked.
Mia played with her hands and nodded, "yeah, the last time was before Clay deployed when I was four months pregnant" she informed her.
"Mia, you need to get laid" Grace bluntly said.
Mia sighed and nodded, "yeah, no kidding. I feel like I am all over the place with my hormones, but that is because I seriously haven't got laid in months" she complained.
"Get a boyfriend, we need to get you laid" Grace replied.
Mia nodded and got up off the table. "I'll see you later. I need to go pick up my daughter from Clay's house" she stated.
"Is he still with Stella?" Grace asked.
Mia nodded, "yeah, as far as I know, things are going well with them. She hasn't been around as much, but yeah" she stated.
"You need to talk to him about this" Grace suggested.
Mia froze and shook her head vehemently. "No way. He is in a relationship. I am not messing that up for him" she replied.
Grace put her hands up in surrender, "fine, but believe me when I tell you, he already knows that there is something going on with you" she stated as they walked out together.
Once they got to the lobby, Mia gave her friend a hug and left the unit, going back to the ER to grab her stuff before leaving.
She changed out of her scrubs and made her way out of the hospital.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The guys of Bravo were all sitting around Clay's living room watching the football game when Mia knocked and made her way in.
Stella was in the kitchen, freezing when she saw Mia walk in. She was really trying to be okay with the relationship.
Clay waved from his spot on the couch, "hey Mims, how was work?" he asked.
She didn't tell anyone about her appointment. She dropped her stuff down on one of the chairs in the island before walking in the living room.
"Hi Stella" she greeted before picking her daughter up from Brock's arms.
"Hi Mia" she replied putting on a tight smile.
Mia cuddled her daughter to her chest, nuzzling her neck, placing a kiss on her cheek.
"Hi princess" she greeted her daughter.
"Mama" Ally squealed, wrapping her arms around Mia's neck, curling into her.
Mia walked over and sat on the recliner, off to the side, Pepper and Cerberus walking over to guard their favorite little human.
"Work was good, it was busy. Sorry I am late; I had an appointment I needed to finish" she replied to Clay.
He shrugged and waved her off, "don't worry, I picked up Ally from daycare and we have been chilling here watching the Patriots kick ass with the guys" he replied.
"What appointment? I thought you were working in the ER today" Jason said.
Stella watched Clay look over at Mia in concern.
"Is everything okay?" he asked her.
She nodded and waved him off. "Yeah, everything is fine. I just had to check in with Grace and make sure everything was working okay" she replied.
Jason grimaced as the rest of the guys shuddered, "can we not talk about my sister's sex life" Jason stated.
"It's not my sex life. I just wanted to make sure that everything was okay. The birth was complicated, and I had to check the sutures and the anatomy of things" she explained.
"But everything is okay?" Clay asked.
Stella snapped her gaze towards Clay, glaring at him for even asking about Mia in that way.
She didn't want him to think of her sexually anymore.
Mia nodded, cuddling her daughter to her chest, resting her on her thighs as she played with her hands, Ally's feet wiggling, as if she was bouncing.
Stella walked out of the kitchen and put some veggies, chips and dip, and some peanuts on the table in front of the guys.
"Anyone need another beer?" she asked.
Trent, Brock, and Ray held up their beers to show they were good, while Jason shook his head.
"No, thanks I am good. I should get going anyway. I promised Emma I would help Cole with some training he was doing for ROTC" he informed them.
Mia got up also, with Ally in her arms. "I am getting going too" she said getting up slowly, keeping her arms around her daughter.
Clay got up and took Ally from Mia, the latter fixing her shirt as she handed her daughter over.
"I'll walk you out" he said.
Mia nodded, freezing when she heard, "why do you have to go with her?"
Stella walked out of the kitchen and walked over to Clay. He stood with his daughter in his arms looking at his girlfriend confused.
The guys all froze and turned to watch the interaction. They told Clay this was going to be an issue. He didn't listen.
"What are you talking about? I am going to walk my daughter out and get her settled in the car" he replied.
Stella walked over and stood in front of him, her arms crossed, looking exasperated.
"Jason can help her. They are both going the same direction" she replied.
"But I wanted to say goodbye to my daughter and get her settled. Come on babe, it's not a big deal" he leant forward to kiss her cheek before walking out with Ally.
Mia just stood there watching the scene unfold. She grabbed Ally's diaper backpack and said bye to the guys before nodding at Stella.
"I'll see you guys in a couple weeks at the beach" she said before walking out.
Stella walked out with them and stood in the doorway watching.
Clay walked over to Mia's jeep and got Ally settled in her car seat. Mia threw the diaper bag in the backseat, shutting the door as Clay said goodbye to their princess.
Mia leant against the driver's door and watched Clay lean into the backseat over the car seat and pressed kisses to Ally's face.
"Bye princess, I'll see you soon Angel" he said, giving her one more kiss before closing the door.
He turned to Mia who was watching him curiously. Clay sighed as he looked over at Stella before glancing back at Mia.
"I know" he said before she even said anything.
"I thought you talked to her about this. I am not trying to ruin your relationship" Mia sighed.
He nodded, "I know that. I will talk to her again. She had no right to be rude to you. You didn't do anything," he defended her.
She shook her head, "no Clay, don't start problems because of me. I would just reassure her that there is nothing to worry about with me" she replied.
Clay nodded and held her door as she got in the jeep. "I'll see you soon" he stated shutting the door for her, stepping back as she took off down the driveway.
Jason walked over and patted his back before going to his truck.
He knew that this was going to be a problem for Clay. Jason got in his truck and immediately called his sister.
"Hey Jase" Mia answered immediately.
"You okay Mia?" he asked.
He had to know that was tough for her. She didn't want to be put in the middle.
Mia sighed at the car speaker. "I don't want to be put in the middle Jase. I told him from the beginning when I was pregnant that if we weren't going to be a couple, then we needed to compromise. He told me that Stella understood that, well apparently not if she thinks I am after Clay" she vented.
She could vent to her brother. He would understand what she was going through.
"I know Mia, I told him that when I talked to him before Stella even came into the picture. That whole scene wasn't fair to you" he said. "I am going to talk to him about that" he added.
"I don't want to cause problems for him Jase. I just want to be coparents and keep the relationship and friendship we have. I mean, I have stopped going over there without calling first, I just try to be appropriate, and it wasn't right for her to throw that in my face" she argued.
Jason rubbed a hand over his face, "I know Mia. I am going to talk to him" he replied.
"Just be nice to him Jase. This is probably hard for him too. We have the Navy Ball this week and I know he is stressed about how that is going to go" she explained.
"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it" he replied.
At the house, Clay was having a similar conversation. He walked over to Stella confused and embarrassed for her behavior.
"What was that about?" he asked as he walked up to her and stood in front of her with his hands crossed.
"She is always here Clay. She is always all over you. I think that she is using your daughter as an excuse to wiggle her way back into your life" she explained.
Clay just shook his head and looked at her even more confused and a little defensive about his relationship with Mia.
"What are you talking about? She isn't using Ally for anything. We have a system and routine to watch Ally. We have always been open with each other and that hasn't changed. She hasn't stepped over any boundaries or anything. So, I really don't understand what you are talking about" he defended.
"Clay, I don't want her here all the time. I get spending time with Bravo. They are your brothers. That is one thing, but she doesn't need to be apart of that" she explained her situation.
Clay sighed, "yeah I get that but she is the mother of my daughter and she is always going to be in my life and nothing is going to change that. Not even your feelings about Mia" he replied.
Stella just stood there trying to process everything that Clay said. She wasn't happy that he was still letting Mia come over.
The guys were all feeling awkward after seeing the showdown between Mia and Stella. They would always being on Mia's side, she was their family.
They got up and walked out, each patting Clay on the back.
They didn't want to be in his position, caught between two women.
Clay didn't think anything of it. He just went through this daily life expecting her to follow his word.
He was not going to cut Mia out. That was not happening.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Mia was planning to avoid the conversation with Clay about Stella. She didn't want to get into it with him.
For the Navy Ball, she was planning on going with Jason and leaving Clay and Stella alone.
Mia went with Emma and Naimah to the mall to pick out a dress for the Ball. The girls were excited to have a girl's day.
Pushing Ally in her stroller, Mia led them into Macy's and straight to the dress section.
Naimah tried a dress on that was dark green that cinched her waist with a diamond broach at one hip. It looked really good on her.
"That really brings out your skin tone. It is beautiful on you" Mia said, nodding in agreement.
"You think so?" she asked, looking herself over in the mirror.
Emma nodded in agreement with her aunt. "Totally. Uncle Ray with love it" she reassured her aunt.
"Alright, I think I am going to get it then" she said before turning to Emma.
"You look beautiful sweetheart. If only your mom could see you now" she cried, looking at the young woman in a red form fitting dress that crisscrossed around her chest and down the back.
It was then Mia's turn. She tried into a black form fitting dress, that was cinched at the waist with triangle cut outs at her hips that was sequined all the way through the dress.
It was sexy but elegant at the same time.
"Wow Aunt Mia, that dress is hot" Emma teased, causing Ally to squeal and start clapping her hands, smiling at her mom.
Mia laughed, "I am glad you think so Angel" she kissed Ally's cheeks.
"You don't think it is too much?" she asked the girls.
"No, it is sexy but elegant. It's beautiful on you" Naimah stated.
The girls each got the dress they tried on, matching shoes and jewelry to accentuate their outfit. They were excited about it.
At the end of the week, Mia made her way to Jason's house to get ready with her niece.
Mia laid out Jason's dress uniform over his bed before going to her niece's room to get dressed and help her niece get ready also.
The girls got ready together and met Jason in the living room. He was waiting for them on the couch.
"Hey, we are ready" Mia said to Jason as she walked down the stairs first, smiling at her niece as she walked down.
"What do you think dad?" Emma asked as she got down to the living room.
"You look beautiful honey. You look just like your mom" he said, pulling her into a hug.
"Thanks Dad" she cried, hugging her dad
"Okay, stop crying, you are going to ruin your makeup and mine" Mia said, dabbing a napkin under her eyes.
Emma pulled away from her dad and dabbed her eyes like her aunt. She grabbed her purse and coat.
"I am ready" Emma said.
Jason nodded and led them out of the house. The ball was being held at The River View at Occoquan in Lorton, VA.
The guys were all staying at a hotel together. They rented out a floor, so they could all be together.
Jason checked them in and led them to their room.
Mia picked the bed closest to the window, Jason always picking the one by the door, so he could protect them.
Since Tessa was watching Ally and Mikey, Emma and Mia shared a bed. It was just easier that way.
They barely got into the room when there was a pounding on the door. Mia and Emma looked at Jason knowingly.
"Who is it?" Jason called out.
"It's us Jase" Ray answered from the hallway.
The girls started unpacking their dresses and getting their outfits laid out on the bed and accessories on the dresser.
Jason opened the door for Ray and Naimah, waving them in.
"Hey guys, we are all meeting up in my room after we get dressed for a drink so we can come up with a game plan for this" Ray informed Jason.
He discussed it with the guys when they all got there and that is what they came up with.
Jason nodded, his hands on his hips, watching as Naimah joined the girls in setting up her outfit.
"You want to get ready here Naimah? I brought hair supplies and Emma has enough makeup to get the whole hotel ready" she teased her niece.
Emma just shrugged innocently, "I didn't know what we would need and what would match" she defended herself to her aunt before turning to her dad.
"Dad, when is Mandy getting here? She is coming right?" she added.
Jason nodded, "I told her that we were leaving. She should be on her way" he replied.
"Yeah, that sounds really great. I for one, am glad that Emma brought all that makeup because I forgot mine. I was working the night before and then JJ had a meltdown over an outfit that she wanted to take to Tessa's. That girl I swear, she is going to kill me" she explained, helping herself to some coffee, before passing some to everyone.
"You are going to have some problems with her when she gets older" Mia teased laughing at Ray.
Ray sighed, taking a chug of coffee. "Yeah, tell me about it" he agreed.
He knew he was in trouble when his daughter became a teen. "At least I am a SEAL and have the ability to scare the guy off" he replied.
"Didn't work for Jase" she smiled when her brother shook his head.
"Don't even start that" Jason warned her.
The girls started laughing when there was another knock on the door.
Jason opened it to see Mandy on the other side. She greeted him with a kiss on the cheek before walking in.
"Hey guys, we ready to party or what?" she asked with a smile as she walked in.
Mia laughed, "oh yeah, partying with the brass and higher ups, we are so ready" she said sarcastically.
That got everyone laughing and nodding in agreement. The guys left and went to Ray's room to get ready while the girls got ready in Mia's room.
Each girl took turns in the bathroom fixing their hair and makeup while the others got dressed and changed their clothes.
The only one who hasn't gotten in contact with them was Clay. Mia didn't want to overstep, but she sent him a text telling him that they were all there.
Clay had his own room with Stella. "Why don't you get in the shower while I let Jase know we are here" he said.
Clay opened his phone to see a text from Mia.
He looked back at the bathroom to hear the shower start. He opened the text to see multiple messages from Mia.
The first was a picture of Ally with her arms around her mom's neck, their cheeks pressed together. The picture was from the morning, before she dropped her off at Tessa's.
The second message was a text, letting him know that all the guys were getting ready in Ray's room, while the girls were gathered in Mia's.
Hearing the water shut off in the shower, he quickly typed her a message.
"I am here with Stella. We will meet you all downstairs in the lobby" he sent before shutting off his phone.
He smiled as Stella walked out of the bathroom. She had on a blue dress that flowed down her feet. Her hair was up in curls, and she had makeup on.
"You look beautiful" he greeted.
She smiled and put her bag down on the table. "Thanks babe, you better go get ready. What time are we meeting everyone?" she asked.
"I told them we would meet in the lobby" Clay replied.
She nodded and directed him to the bathroom. He laughed and saluted as he walked into the bathroom.
He was already in the bathroom, the shower started when he heard his phone Bing with an incoming message.
"Stella, answer the phone. Is probably Jase. I told him that we would meet downstairs" he called out.
Mia got Clay's message that he was with Stella, and he would meet them in the lobby.
She sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed her phone. "Okay, we will meet you in the lobby. We are all getting ready in my room. I am in 318 if you want to stop by before we head down" she replied.
Stella grabbed his phone and ready the message to see that it was from Mia, not Jason. She read over the message 3x before turning off the phone.
Clay walked out with a towel around his waist, one drying his hair, "babe, did you tell Jason we were almost ready?" he asked her.
"It wasn't Jason, it was Mia. She said they were all getting ready in their room. She said they would meet us in the lobby" she replied.
She was not ready to talk to Mia yet, after their interaction at the house.
"Okay, great. Let me get dressed, then we'll get going" he said, grabbing his clothes and started getting dressed.
When he went shopping for a nice suit, he had Ally with him. She picked out a nice black tie that fit nicely with what he was planning to wear.
He put that around his neck and grabbed his wallet and made his way out of the room, Stella walking ahead of him.
Everyone was waiting for them in the lobby.
Emma ran up to him first. "Hey Uncle Clay" she greeted him with a hug.
"You look beautiful Emma" he greeted, kissing her temple.
"Thanks, you look pretty handsome yourself" she replied before turning to nod at Stella, "hi Stella" she said before going back to her aunt.
Stella just nodded at the group. She looked at all of them standing together and instantly felt like an outsider.
"We were waiting for you with Ray Blonde Ambition, where have you been?" Sonny asked.
Clay just shook his head at the nickname. "We got in late man. We just needed time getting ready. Don't worry, we are all here now" he replied vaguely.
The guys all just looked at Stella before nodding in understanding.
Things were still awkward between Stella and everyone after she confronted Mia.
"Alright, let's get going" Jase made the decision, leading his sister and daughter out with him.
Everyone watched as Clay watched Mia walk by him without saying anything.
They all knew she didn't want another confrontation with Stella.
Jason led the group down the hall and to the other side of the hall to the reception area. Everyone in the party already turned to watch them walk in as a unit.
There were tons of people, families, friends, and other service men and women from different Teams and parts of the Navy.
The place was decorated as if it was like a winter wonderland. There were Christmas trees everywhere, fake snow, snowmen, Santa's, candy canes…and other Christmas decorations.
It looked beautiful.
"Master Chief" they turned to see Blackburn walk up to them with Davis.
Jason nodded at his commanding officer and greeted Lisa with a side hug.
"You look beautiful ladies" he greeted.
"Thank you, Commander Blackburn," Mia stated.
He nodded at them, before looking to Jason, "Bravo ready for the congratulatory speech?" he asked.
Jason nodded, "Yes sir, I am ready" he said before looking at his team, "we are ready" he added.
Blackburn nodded and took a sip of his whiskey, "good" he replied leading them to the table.
As they were walking towards the reception to get their table number, Mia looked around at the decorations.
Pointing things out to Emma as the group moved through the party.
"Wow, they outdid themselves this year" Mia commented.
"They really made it beautiful" Lisa stated.
As the girls were commenting about the décor, the guys were watching Clay.
Clay couldn't help but watch as she took everything in. He didn't get to talk to her the past couple days because he figured he would talk to her here.
Derek, Jeremy, and Rob came over, each walking over to Mia and kissing her cheek before he could say anything.
"Hi guys, don't you clean up nice" she greeted them with a hug.
"You look beautiful Princess. Where's my Sunshine?" Derek asked.
He was used to babysitting whenever Mia or Clay weren't there to pick up and watch Ally after daycare.
Mia smiled, "thank you Derek. The troublemaker is with Tessa. She is watching the rest of the kids while we are here" she informed him.
"Well I miss that little munchkin. Otis runs around like a damn nut every time he hears Clay outside the door. You tell her that her little friend is missing her" he replied.
Mia laughed, "is that why she is now carrying around a stuffed dog like he is her new best friend?" she asked.
He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and nodded, with a self-satisfied smirk, "you're welcome" he was proud of himself.
"It wasn't funny when I spent half an hour this morning looking for that stupid stuffed animal. She threw the biggest fit and wouldn't leave for Tessa's without it" she informed him with a raised eyebrow.
"How about I make it up to your and pick her up next week to come over and play with the real thing" he suggested.
Mia smiled and reached up to kiss his cheek, "that is why I love you" she replied.
He scoffed, "you better love me" he teased.
The guys just laughed at their antics. "You are a nutcase, you know that?" Jason commented.
Jeremy and Rob started laughing, "tell me about it. I have been saying that since he first got to Alpha Team" Jeremy said.
"Alright, come on, let's get to our table" Ray led them all to the table they were all assigned to.
Stella tucked into Clay's side, "so Mia is friendly with your friends?" she asked him.
He looked at her confused, "I mean, yeah. She works in the hospital; she takes care of us Teams guys" he explained.
Stella nodded sarcastically. That wasn't what she meant. She didn't realize how close Mia was to the guys in all the Teams.
The dinner was really nice. The bar was open, so everyone had everything they could ever want.
Eventually, it was starting to get awkward at the table. Jeremy got up and put his hand out to Mia.
"Dance with me?" he asked.
She smiled and got up with him, her hand in his as he led her to the middle of the dance floor.
Clay watched Mia and Jeremy like a hawk locked on his prey. Jason and the guys watched Clay as he watched Mia.
Jeremy led Mia around the dance floor with a smile on her face. "How bad do you want to kick Stella's ass today?"
She nudged him as they danced around. "Don't be mean. I am trying to be on my best behavior for Clay's sake. What she pulled back at the house a few weeks ago was not cool and was not called for" she explained.
"Yeah, I heard about that. Didn't you guys talk about this before you had my little Monkey?" he asked.
She nodded, "yeah, we did. I told him that we could have a relationship with other people but we would need to communicate and make sure that our partners knew what the deal was. He told me that he talked to her, but she obviously hasn't been informed properly" she explained.
Jeremy nodded in understanding. "I get that. You know Natalie and I are here for you if you need us. We are literally right down the street. I also appreciate you paying Nat to babysit. She feels so excited to have a job" he laughed excitedly.
Mia smiled, "it is my pleasure, Jeremy. You know that. Nat is such a good girl and Ally loves her" she replied.
Clay watched Mia smiling and laughing, cuddling closer to Jeremy. He was fisting his hands around his drink as he watched them dance around the floor.
Jeremy smiled down at her.
"Well, I appreciate it. She hasn't had a chance to make friends except for Emma and Cole, so I appreciate her having something to do after school" he stated.
"Don't worry about her Jeremy. She is going to be fine. We all adjusted just fine, besides, we are all here for her" she reassured him, giving him a hug as the song ended, kissing his cheek.
"Thanks Mia, I appreciate the words" he replied walking them back to the table.
"What's going on here?" he asked as he sat down at the table.
"Nothing, we are just talking. Anyone want a drink?" Clay got up asking the table.
"I'll take a diet coke, red wine for me, I'll take another beer" everyone's orders rang out.
Clay nodded as he looked to Mia, "help me with the drinks?" he asked.
He needed an excuse to talk to her in private without Stella constantly hanging on to his side.
Mia nodded as she got up and walked with him to the bar.
Once they were out of earshot of the table, he turned to her, leant against the bar to really look her over.
"You really look beautiful Mia" he said.
She smiled at him, "thank you" she let out a breath, "Clay, I don't want to cause problems for you. Today was beyond awkward" she informed him.
Clay nodded and let out a sigh, "yeah, I get that, and I appreciate it, but I don't want you to worry. I already talked with Stella. She knows the score. You are the mother of my child, and I don't want to feel awkward and weird around you" he replied.
She nodded, smiling at the bartender as he brough them their drink orders. "Thank you" she said to him before turning back to Clay.
She needed a minute to figure out what to say. "Thank you for saying that. I am never going to take you out of Ally's life. You are her dad, and you are always going to be her dad. As for Stella, I just wanted to let you know that I am not going to shut you out. It is not going to happen, so she is just going to have to get used to it" she made her decision.
He looked down with a smile. "Thanks Mia" he leant over to hug her and kiss her cheek.
"You know you can talk to me too if you have any problems" he added.
She blushed bright red, looking at him suspiciously. "You haven't talked to Grace, have you?" she asked.
He looked at her confused, shaking his head. "No, why?" he replied as they walked back to the table.
She was bright red as she shook her head. "No reason" she set the drinks on the table before taking her seat between Jeremy and Derek.
As the brass was going through speeches, the guys were having their dinner.
No one really paid attention until Blackburn started talking about Bravo.
"It is my pleasure to bring attention to our unsung heroes. For extraordinary heroism and courage in action against Insurgent forces after being ambushed by enemy forces. And facing overwhelming fire power. Master Chief Jason Hayes led Bravo Team to eliminate danger and rescue a village from a second brigade of insurgent forces. Bravo Team was able to survive the mission with a full head count, thanks to Master Chief Hayes critical thinking and methodical actions that led his team to victory. I would like to personally congratulate Master Chief Hayes and Bravo Team on their success in defeating enemy forces, leading them to victory" he stood out to the side, clapping as Bravo and their families stood up to be recognized.
Mia hugged her brother from one side, while Emma hugged her dad from the other side. "Congratulations Dad" Emma said.
He wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "Thank you honey" he replied before pressing his sister against her.
The whole night was a great success. Everyone was really happy that Bravo got recognized and that everyone got along.
Stella and Mia pretty much avoided each other the whole night.
Luckily, Naimah, Mandy, and Emma kept her preoccupied.
At the end of the night, Mia got up and walked out to grab her coat from the coat check.
"Mia, can I please talk to you?" she turned to see Stella standing there behind her.
Mia turned and held her coat against her chest. "What can I do for you Stella?" she asked.
"I understand that you have to be in Clay's life because of Ally, but she is almost 9 months old. She isn't a newborn anymore. You have a schedule with him. You don't need to be contacting him all the time" Stella got all her feelings out towards her.
She really didn't want her contacting Clay for anything. She knew that she was going to use that baby to take advantage of him.
"Stella, I am going to tell you the same thing I told Clay. I am never going to take him out of Ally's life. He is her dad, and he is always going to be her dad. I am not shutting him out and keeping him from his kid. If that means he sleeps over at my house, or interacts with me, then you are just going to have to deal with it" she informed her.
Emma walked over and stopped short when she saw her Aunt Mia talking with Stella.
"Is everything okay Aunt Mia?" she asked.
Mia handed Emma her coat and nodded. "Yeah babe, everything is fine. Let's get going" she said.
Emma put on her coat and walked with her dad and the rest of Bravo back to their rooms. The reception lodge was so big, the hotel was on the other side of the property. They had to walk outside for that.
Jason walked with his family back to the hotel part of the lodge. He could tell that Mia was angry or irritated about something.
"What's going on Mia?" he asked.
"Stella confronted me at the coat check. After everything Clay talked to her about, she still had to the nerve to confront me about meddling into their relationship. I can't take this BS anymore from her" she vented.
Jason pulled her into his side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "It is going to be okay. I am going to talk to him" he reassured her.
After the dinner and everyone made their way back to the hotel, the guys met in the bar downstairs for a night cap.
Jason was silently fuming. He did not want his sister to be hurt and Clay was hurting her indirectly.
The guys were all watching and waiting. They kept glancing between Clay and Jason, waiting for one of them to say something.
Jason was the first one to break. He couldn't take it anymore.
"So, I talked to Mia tonight after the dinner" he started.
Clay froze with a beer in his hand. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"Stella confronted her at the coat check again. She thinks that Mia is coming after your relationship. She doesn't deserve this Clay. Talking to Stella is not enough. She is not getting it Clay. Berating Mia is not going to fly. I am not going to sit back and watch my sister get hurt" he stated.
Clay sighed, "I know that. I talked to her multiple times. I don't know what else to do" Jason could tell he was defeated.
"You need to take control of the situation. Mia hasn't said anything because she doesn't want to add more stress for you. She wants to keep your arrangement for Ally but if she is still being confronted every single time, it is not going to be an easy going routine" Jason warned.
"I didn't mean for this to happen Jase. I don't want to hurt Mia. She is the mother of my child" he defended himself.
Jason stood up straighter, "you better fix this or it is going to be a problem" he said before putting down his drink and leaving the bar.
Mia was in the hotel room, sitting on the bed, cuddling a pillow, on facetime with Tessa.
"How'd it go Mama Bear?" she asked.
Mia sighed, "you don't want to know. The hall was beautiful. They had the dinner by the lake, it was decorated like a Christmas wonderland. The brass really outdid themselves this year. Jeremy, Derek, and Rob asked about you. How did your night go with the kids?" she replied trying to change the subject.
Tessa shook her head, "I don't think so Mama Bear. You don't get to change the subject. What happened with Clay and that Witch?" she asked.
She knew something had to have happened. Mia looked like she was crying.
Her eyes were red, puffy, and she sounded miserable.
A fresh wave of tears cascaded down Mia's face. "It was horrible Tess. First it was beyond awkward because Clay and Stella pretty much ignored us the whole night. Stella glaring at me from across the table. Then she had the nerve to confront me at the coat check. Telling me that I am trying to meddle in their relationship and that I am using my daughter to be romantically involved with him" she finally vented.
Tessa gasped and narrowed her eyes, glaring into the phone.
"What a fucking bitch!" she cried, "I can't believe she had the nerve to do that. What the fuck was she thinking that you would use your daughter to try and be with Clay. And seriously, what the holy fuck is Clay doing, letting her get away with all this" she cried into the phone.
Mia could see the steam coming out of her friends' ears. She was glad that her feelings were validated.
"I know Clay talked to her and explained our relationship and the arrangement we have with Ally but she just won't back off" Mia started to explain.
"Tess, I don't even know what to say anymore. I have tried to talk to him and even told her that she had nothing to worry about. There is nothing more I can say anymore. Apparently talking isn't even doing anything because she doesn't believe anyone. This whole thing is a mess" she added.
There wasn't anything anyone could do or say. Stella had her own opinion, and she was running with it.
Tessa was pacing her apartment. She listened to her friend as she told her about what Clay was letting his girlfriend do.
"Mia, you need to talk to him. You need to give him an ultimatum. I know you don't want to use Ally against him, but he needs to step up" she complained.
Mia nodded, "I know, but I don't want to have to do that" she reasoned.
As Tess was starting to say something, there was a knock on the door.
Mia got up and went to answer the door. She looked out of the window and saw it was Clay.
Mia looked down at the phone, "Tess, Clay is here" she said to her friend.
"You give him a piece of your mind" she replied, "Call me when he leaves" she added before hanging up.
Mia turned off her phone and let out a deep breath before opening the door.
Clay was quiet and reflective while he was at the bar. The rest of the guys were drinking but he was just thinking about Mia and what she went through.
He knew that he messed up.
There was nothing more he could do. He was stuck.
He talked to Stella multiple times about his relationship with Mia. They were just good friends.
After talking to Stella, he knew he needed to clear things up with Mia.
Something was wrong with her, and he wanted to know what it was. She wasn't herself and it was obvious.
When he talked to her at the bar during the reception, he knew there was something wrong.
He left his drink at the bar and said goodbye to the guys. "I'll see you guys later" he said before leaving.
He went directly to Mia's hotel room.
He just knocked on the door and waited, hoping she would let him in.
When the door opened, he froze and just looked at Mia.
She had her hair up in a messy bun, her glasses on, and her eyes looked red and puffy, like she had been crying.
Clay walked in and pulled her into his arms for a hug. He needed her close right now and he didn't know why he was feeling like this.
He didn't like to see her hurt and he didn't like that he caused her to hurt.
"It's going to be okay Mia; I am so sorry. I am going to figure something out, I promise" he said, nuzzling her neck.
Mia pulled away and took off her glasses to wipe her tears. "Clay, I can't do this. I really can't. I am not in the mindset to fight with Stella. I won't keep you from Ally. I can drop her off with Jase and him drop her off or you get here from there, I can't do this anymore" she explained.
Clay really looked at her and got concerned.
"Mia, what is going on? From the time I have known you, I know that you are a fighter. What is wrong?" he asked.
"I just, my hormones are out of whack. I just can't do this with her. You talked to her, I talked to her, hell, she has seen us together. I haven't done anything inappropriate. I can't deal with this anymore" she vented.
Clay pulled her back into his arms and dug his fingers in her hair, massaging her scalp.
"Mia, I don't like to see you this upset" he cupped her face and pulled away, wiping her tears, looking down at her concerned.
"What do you need me to do to fix it?" he asked.
She shook her head, "I don't know Clay, I just can't do this anymore" she replied.
"I am going to fix it Mia, I don't want you to worry. I am going to take care of it" he said.
He pressed his lips to her forehead and pulled her closer to him.
They stood in the common area of the hotel room for quite a while, just holding each other.
Mia needed the support from him.
"Come on, let's get to bed" he said leading her to her room and stripping down to his boxers as she got into bed on her side so he could lay down next to her.
Clay laid behind Mia and curled her back into his front. He wrapped around her and just held her in his arms.
He needed to feel her against him after everything that happened overnight.
"I am sorry Mia" he whispered against her ear.
Jason came back to the hotel room and knocked on the adjoined door to his sister's room to see Clay wrapped around his sister, both of them fast asleep.
He thought about Stella for a minute, knowing that she was probably thinking about Clay and where he was, but Jason didn't really care.
He quietly shut the door and grabbed his clothes before going into the bathroom to change before getting to bed.
Mia couldn't help but let her mind wander while asleep. She felt free, safe, and supported.
In Mia's dream, she turned to face Clay, lifting her hand up to cup his cheek.
He leant forward, meeting her lips, feasting on her the way he's wanted since before Ally was born.
He tasted of mint and vodka, hitting her right in the chest. She couldn't help but inhale him deeply and wrap herself around him like a spider monkey.
Clay turned so her was on top of Mia, wrapping his arm around her throat, licking at her lips before thrusting his tongue deep into her mouth.
Mia wrapped her arm around his back, digging her fingers into his muscles, digging her nails in.
She didn't want this feeling to end. She didn't want to lose him.
Clay dug his fingers through Mia's hair, using it to maneuver her head to deepen the kiss and devour her whole.
He was eating her lips like he was starving, and she was his last meal.
A moan ripped from Mia as his body molds to hers. The friction of his hard chest against her breasts and thighs elicits a violent body shiver.
Her nipples tighten and strain against her camisole. She couldn't help but dig her fingers into his back, holding him to her.
She didn't want this feeling to end.
"Fuck Mia, you taste so much better than in my other dreams" he growled against her lips.
"What?" she asked.
"Shh, I don't want to wake up from this" his fingers curled in the back of her head, tugging at her hair as he devoured her lips.
He trailed his lips down her jaw, her breasts, giving attention to each breast, biting at her nipples through her camisole as he trailed his lips down her stomach and over her stretch marks.
He licked at the waistband of her shorts, leaving a hot trail of fire in his wake.
"You are beautiful Mia" he kissed against her skin.
A sob tore through Mia as she arched her back at the sensation.
Kneeling at the foot of the bed, he stares straight at her pussy, causing Mia to instinctively close her thighs.
"Nuh uh, keep them open" he shook his head and pressed against her inner thighs, to spread them open.
"Don't ever change" he added.
He reached behind him and pulled his t-shirt off, revealing his sculpted abs.
"You want this?" he asked, "I need to hear you say it" he replied when she nodded vehemently.
Mia watched as he knelt between her legs and just inhaled.
"You're soaked for me" he commented.
The first sweep of his tongue on her folds is like straight up torture. He wanted to drive her out of her mind.
He couldn't help doing it again, devouring her whole.
He thrust his tongue inside and she was done for. Her back arched off the bed, her eyes rolling in the back of her head.
Tears were rolling down her face at the sensations she was feeling.
Clay wrapped his mouth around her clit, sucking it deep in his mouth, causing Mia to arch off the bed, her mouth opening in a silent cry.
When she flew off the handle, he crawled up her body and wrapped his arms around her, resting his head against her breasts.
"I love you Mia" he slurred before passing out.
Mia smiled as she ran her fingers through his hair.
When Clay opened his eyes, there she was. He was still dreaming.
She was fully naked, her tits begging for his mouth. Her lips trailing down his chest to the waist of his boxers.
She looked like a sex goddess.
His dick jumped to life at her inexperienced ministrations. It has been hard since he ate her out last night.
"God, what are you doing Mia?" his voice is hoarse with arousal.
"I want to make you feel good too" she replied shyly.
She wrapped her hands around the base of his dick, causing him to groan deep.
Before he could say anything, there was a loud knock on the door.
"Hey, get out here Spencer, your phone has been going off for an hour" Jason yelled through the door.
Clay and Mia sprang apart looking at each other in shock and confusion.
Mia had tears in her eyes.
"I am so sorry Clay" she cried. "God, what have I done?" she covered her face with her hands, crying into her hands.
He shook his head, pulling her closer, cupping her face before pressing his mouth to hers.
They started making out like horny teenagers, Clay pulling away, resting his forehead against hers.
"You have nothing to be sorry for. This is between us. You had my baby and you needed me. That was all this was" he replied, pressing another soft kiss on her lips before pulling away.
He pulled on his dress pants from earlier and went through the door to find an angry looking Jason Hayes on the other side.
"When I said resolve it with my sister, playing with her heart is not what I meant" he stated.
Clay let out a breath before wiping a hand over his face. "That's not what I am doing. I talked to Mia and we worked things out. I respect you Jase, but this is between me and her, not me and you" he replied before grabbing his phone and shirt on his way out of the room.
He made his way to his original hotel room he was sharing with Stella, opening the door to find her sitting up in bed glaring at him, phone in her hand.
"Where have you been?" she asked, getting out of bed to confront him.
"I was with Jason" he replied putting his stuff down on the table.
"You mean you were with Mia?" she snapped.
Clay sighed and wiped his hand over his face.
"Stella, I don't want to argue about Mia. We have been over this. She is the mother of my daughter. If she needs me then I am going to be there for her without any questions asked, regardless of how you feel. You either deal with that or we are done" he snapped.
"I am going to shower, decide what you want to do before I get out" he said grabbing a change of clothes before slamming the bathroom door closed.
He knew he was in the wrong, but he had had enough.
They didn't mean for last night to happen, but it did, and he was tired of defending himself to Stella.
When he got out of the shower, Stella was sitting on the edge of the bed.
"I get that you love Mia and always will. I accept that she will always be in your life" she stated.
Clay nodded, "good" he replied.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
At the end of the month, the guys all gathered at Jason's house to make their way to the beach together.
Mia pulled into Jason's driveway and picked up Ally from the back and made her way into the house.
Emma was running around the house getting their swim stuff together in the living room.
"Hey Aunt Mia" she greeted her with a kiss to the cheek.
"Hi honey, are you getting things together? Where's your dad?" she asked, putting Ally down in the playpen.
She was picking herself up and tried bouncing on her legs, squealing at seeing her cousin.
"MMA" she squealed.
Emma smiled at her little cousin. "Hi Ally Cat, are you ready for the beach?" she asked.
Mia smiled at their interaction. "I am going to find your dad" she walked through the house and to the back to find Jason on the deck.
"Hey, you ready to go?" she asked, greeting him with a hug.
Jason wrapped an arm around her shoulder, "yeah, I think Emma is getting the beach bag ready. She packed some snacks and got the cooler ready. You talking to Clay today?" he asked.
She shook her head, "nope. I am going to avoid Clay and Stella as much as possible" she stated.
"I will talk to him" Jason added.
"No Jase, please. I don't want to cause more issues. I am going to be cordial and pretend like the ball never happened" she replied.
Jason pulled Mia into his arms and led them into the house.
Mikey was carrying Ally in one hand and the cooler in the other.
Emma had her swim bag and purse, standing next to them.
They both turned to see their dad and Aunt Mia coming in.
"Hey Dad, we are ready to go" Emma said picking up her bag.
"Alright, I'll grab the cooler" he replied grabbing it from Mikey on his way out.
As the guys made their way outside to load up the cars, Cole pulled in behind Mia.
He got out and greeted Emma with a kiss and Ally with a kiss on the cheek.
"Hi Dollface" he took Ally from Emma when the little girl put her hands out for him.
"Cole" Jason greeted.
"Hey Master Chief, hi Mia" he nodded at them.
"Hi Cole, come on, I'll take the Princess and you help Emma and Jason load up the truck" Mia took her daughter from Cole and got her settled in her jeep.
They all drove out to the beach together, the guys already there waiting in their cars so they could all park next to each other, except Clay. He was going to pick up Stella and come with her.
The girls each made coolers of food and had drinks that the guys wheeled behind them to the barbeque area they had set up.
They lined everything up, so everything was right next to each other.
"Emma, help your brother and Cole set up the lounge chairs and umbrellas so the kids can put their stuff down and get their floaters on" Mia said.
Mikey grabbed Ally's hands and helped her walk to the beach with the rest of the kids, setting up in an area next to the bbq.
Cole grabbed the beach umbrellas and chairs as he followed Mikey and Emma to the right spot.
"Em, have them sit here. I am going to put the umbrellas up over here and get the chairs set up" Cole said.
Emma sat all the kids down in the sand and helped them all put on sunscreen and their floaters, while Mia and Naimah set up the food on the tables.
Mikey was helping Cole put up the umbrellas and put up some of the retractable chairs.
Emma gave Jameelah and RJ some stuff to play in the sand until they were ready to go into the water.
Emma smiled and picked up her cousin, putting her in her lap, lathering her up in sunscreen. She put her sunglasses on Ally's face and smiled at how cute she looked.
Emma pulled out her cellphone and took a selfie of them.
"Wow, you two look beautiful" Cole teased, taking a seat behind her.
"Thanks babe" she tipped her head back and pressed her lips to his.
"Ash MMA" Ally squealed to her cousin.
"I know Ally-Cat; we are going to splash and have fun in the water. But we have to wait for mommy first" she replied, helping her with her sun hat.
Cole sat next to Emma and pulled Ally in his arms, laying back, standing her up on his lap, holding her hands so she could bounce4 on his stomach.
Mia smiled at the scene as she took out the containers of food they prepared. She helped Mikey put up the umbrellas and took out their swimming stuff so the kids could play in the sand until they got ready to go into the water.
Mia took off her tank top but left her shorts on since she was just going to sit on the beach and watch the kids go swimming.
Clay pulled into the lot next to Mia's jeep and helped Stella out. "You ready for this?" he asked her.
He was nervous for her to see everyone after everything went down, but especially Mia.
She laughed at his nervousness and nodded, "yes Clay, I am ready for this babe" she replied, stabilizing herself on his chest as she stood up to give him a kiss.
He didn't want things to be awkward.
He picked up his swim bag from the trunk and walked with her to where Bravo was gathered.
He could see that Jason and Ray were on the grills, Naimah was prepping the food, while Mia was sitting with Emma and the kids.
"DA! DA!"
Clay heard, looking up to see his daughter wiggling on Cole's chest, trying to get out of his arms.
Cole laughed and put her down, holding her hands as she wobbled her way towards Clay.
He dropped his bag and met her halfway, picking her up and launching her in the air, smiling at her squealing before pressing her to his chest.
"DA" she greeted, kissing his cheek, wrapping her arms around him.
Clay smiled and kissed his daughter, "Hi Princess" he held her to her chest and turned her to Stella, "Can you say hi to Stella babe?" he introduced.
Stella smiled, "hi Ally" she smiled at the little girl.
Mia walked over when she heard her daughter yell for her dad. She walked over to Clay and Stella.
Taking a breath to calm her nerves, she just watched them for a minute, letting Clay get his time with Ally.
She waited a minute before she walked up to them. "Hey, about time you got here" she smiled at them.
"Hey Mia, how's it going?" he asked.
Mia smiled, "it's going okay. Ready to catch some sun. How are you, Stella?" she replied trying to be polite and acknowledge his girlfriend.
Stella nodded at Mia before wrapping her arm around Clay's free arm.
"Come on, the food is almost done, and Ally has been waiting for someone to go in the water with her and splash" she informed them, leading them to their group.
Stella followed Mia to the area where Bravo was hanging out.
"Hey guys, look who I found" Mia announced, causing everyone to greet Clay and Stella their own way.
Clay dropped their stuff down under one of the umbrellas, sinking into a beach chair with Ally still in his arms.
Stella just watched everyone. It was like she was waiting for a reaction.
Mia came over and took Ally from Clay and walked her down the beach to stand on the edge of the beach to have the water splash on her feet.
"Mia is beautiful" Stella said looking at Mia and Ally on the beach.
Clay took off his shirt and followed her gaze. He sighed. He knew this was going to be a problem.
"Our relationship isn't like that. We are just really good friends. We have had this conversation Stella" he tried to explain.
Stella nodded as she took off her cover up, "that was before I saw her in a bikini top and shorts" she sneered, turning to the girls to ignore him.
"It is really good you could join us, Stella. As the guys are a team, so are the families. Bravo is a family and so we are glad you are joining our family" Naimah stated.
Stella nodded with a smile as she accepted a wine cooler, watching as Clay got up and made his way down the beach.
She sat up straighter, gaze sharpening as she watched him play with Ally at the edge of the water. Mia was splashing them and playing with them.
"That's really nice of you Naimah. Clay said that you are like the senior wife in the little group you all have going on here" she teased.
Naimah laughed a little as she joined Stella next to her lounge chair and clinked drinks with her, looking out to the beach to watch the kids play with Brock, Cerberus, Clay, and Sonny.
"Thanks, like I said, we are all just like a family. The guys are just like big kids themselves" Naimah replied.
Stella looked out to see everyone playing with each of the kids and nodded, "I can see that" she laughed.
Jason, Trent, and Ray started putting the containers of food on the tables. Jason let out a loud whistle, causing everyone to stop what they were doing and look over.
He waved everyone in, "the food is done. Come on in" he called out.
Mia and Emma led the kids to their area while grabbing their beach toys. The girls dumped them between the lounge chairs, depositing the kids on one chair.
"Okay, everyone, raise your hand if you want a burger" Mia called out to the kids.
About half the kids raised their hands while the other half took hotdogs.
Mia sat on the chair with Ally in her lap and cut up her food so she could eat on her own. Mia looked up at Stella as she took a sip of her lemonade.
"So, Stella, how do you like being with a Seal? I know it can be a whole new thing for some people and could be hard to deal with. Especially with you being in your doctorate, right?" Mia asked, trying to get to know the lady that would be in her daughter's life.
Stella nodded around her bite of hamburger. "Yes, it was something to get used to, but I think I have been doing pretty well dealing with everything. One thing I am not looking forward to is when he has to deploy or get spun up" she replied.
Mia nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I get that. I used to help my sister-in-law when I was in Medical School, and she went to night school for real estate. It was hard. At one point, I remember having to take Emma to daycare at the hospital and everyone thought she was my baby" Mia teased causing Emma to wrap her arms around her aunt.
"That's why you are my favorite bio aunt" Emma replied.
Mia laughed, "well, considering I am your only bio aunt, I better be" she stated.
Before anyone could say anything else, the guy's phones started ringing. Everyone looked at each other knowingly.
Mia picked up Ally and got up and walked over to her brother and Clay. Emma and Mikey were hugging their dad.
Clay picked up his daughter and cuddled her to his chest, kissing the top of her head.
The guys stood at the entrance of the beach watching to see who Clay would go to first.
"Fifty says he goes to Mia first" Jason said.
"No way Jase, that is an easy fifty" Sonny replied.
Mia and Stella stood next to each other and watched as the boys packed up. This was Stella's first spin-up for Clay.
Clay walked over with his daughter and handed her to Mia before leaning over and kissing her cheek, giving her a hug.
"I'll see you later Mia" he said.
She hugged him and kissed his cheek, "be careful and be safe" she replied, taking Ally as she stepped back so he could say bye to Stella.
"Told ya" Jason said to the guys as they watched Clay go to Mia first.
She was standing there with tears in her eyes. Stella was completely freaking out as she watched Clay hug and kiss Mia and Ally.
She didn't know how she was going to handle it. Stella wrapped herself around him and gave him kisses, "please be careful and come back to me" she cried.
Clay nodded and kissed her a couple times before leaving to join the guys. They didn't know where they were going, but they were ready.
"Leave it on the beach Spencer" Jason said when Clay looked back to see Stella on the verge of sobbing.
Clay nodded, "I'm straight Jase" he replied following each other to their cars.
Mia watched them leave, her arms around her daughter and niece and nephew. She looked over at Stella and sighed, "you doing okay?" she asked her.
Stella wiped her tears, "yeah, I'll be okay, I just…I just need to process" she replied.
Mia nodded in understanding, "don't worry, they look out for each other" she informed her.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The guys walked into the DEVGRU building and to their meeting room. Lisa Davis was waiting for them with a smile on her face.
"I have a mission for you guys with Green Team. Adam is going to be your point of contact" Davis said leading them out of the meeting room so they could go to the drill room.
Green Team was in the middle of SRE, so they were training on how to act if they were ever taken hostage.
The guys each woke up inside a cage that was barely big enough for them to kneel in, hands tied behind their backs, wearing only shorts.
One by one, members of Green Team were taken out of their cages and placed into chairs so they could be 'interrogated.'
The instructors went at them hard. "Tell us what you know!" one of the masked instructors yelled into Mason's face as he punched him in the stomach.
Mason sucked in a breath and spit back the blood from his mouth onto the instructor.
Bravo stepped in and took the place of the instructors. Trent and Brock grabbed the chair and lent it backwards and kicked them back.
Clay walked over and went to put a towel over Masons mouth when the greenie kicked up and got Clay in the stomach.
He grunted and staggered back before he got a shot of adrenaline and lunged forward towards the greenie again, only for him to get up and run into Clay. Before Bravo could react, Clay went flying backwards into the concrete wall.
He groaned, rolling on the floor, holding his head, causing Pepper to run over, guarding Clay, barking at the greenie as Bravo stepped in.
Jason thundered over and pushed the greenie off Clay, causing him to stumble back. "What the fuck are you doing?" he yelled.
Jason Hayes was a legend in the Teams. Having him in his face was terrifying.
"I just reacted; I am sorry Master Chief Hayes" he said stepping back.
Ray stepped up and stood in front of Jason, holding him back, "Jase, we need to get Clay to the hospital" he prevented him from going after the greenie.
Jason stormed over to see Trent and Brock kneeling next to Clay looking over him. "Trent" he called out for an update on their youngest member.
"He has a concussion for sure and possibly broken ribs. We need to call Mia; he needs an x-ray and fluids" he said.
Jason nodded and pulled out his cellphone as Trent and Bock helped Clay stand up, holding onto him as he started swaying.
"I'mmm fffff...iii..nnnnn..ee" Clay slurred.
"You are going to the hospital, no arguments" Trent replied, holding him up.
They led him out of the room, Jason barking on the phone, Sonny glaring at the greenie before pointing at Adam Seigar.
"He better be gone before we get out of the hospital" he said to the Green Team instructor.
Mia was at home, getting Ally to sleep when her phone started vibrating.
She grabbed her phone and saw that it was her brother, immediately picking it up, worried that someone was hurt.
"Jase, what happened?" she greeted.
"Mia, we need you at the infirmary. Clay got hurt on the drill" he informed her, storming after the guys into the infirmary.
Mia panicked, grabbed her daughter out of her crib, grabbed her bag and stormed out of the house in her sweats.
"I am on my way" she said as she buckled her daughter in her car seat before taking off towards the base.
Once she got there, she grabbed her badge and stuck it on as she got out of the car, grabbed her sleeping daughter, the diaper bag and ran into the infirmary.
"Jason!" she called as Mia ran into the infirmary, carrying her daughter dressed in her pajamas with a sweatshirt on.
The guys turned to look at her running down the entrance to Bravo. Jason stepped up and took Ally from her, grabbing the diaper bag and putting it down in one of the chairs next to Pepper.
"What happened?" she asked.
Before anyone could say anything, Anila and Dr. Scott Masterson walked out of Clay's room. He froze for a minute when he saw Mia standing there looking disheveled.
"Mia, what are you doing here?" he asked.
"Hey Scott, Clay is Ally's dad. Can you tell me what's going on?" she replied putting on her glasses and grabbed the chart from him.
"The damage wasn't too bad. He's got about six stitches to a laceration at the back of his head that should be removed within a week. A grade 2 concussion, so he is staying overnight for observation as per concussion protocol. Three broken ribs on his right side. Head CT and Chest x-ray was clear" he informed Mia and the rest of the guys.
"Great, let's keep him in the private room. I am going to stay with him overnight" she replied.
He nodded, "sounds good. I am on call tonight, so I'll be in the doctor's lounge. Call me if you need me" he nodded to the guys before walking off.
"He is probably going to be loopy from the medication, so he is probably going to sound a little out of it" she informed them before making her way inside the room.
They all filed into the room, staying to the boarder of the room, so as not crowd Clay.
Mia walked right up to the bed and ran her hands through his hair, causing him to open his eyes and glance around the room.
"Hey Boss" he slurred, trying to salute to Jason, instead almost poking his eye out.
Jason grabbed his arm and put his hand down, so he didn't poke his eye out. "Relax kid, you got your bell rung when greenie attacked you" he said putting his arm down, so he didn't irritate his stitches.
Clay closed his eyes for a minute trying to remember what happened.
"Pepper was there right? After Greenie went psycho terminator?" he asked.
Brock nodded, "yeah, she's good. She ran right over to protect her favorite big human when you went down" he explained.
"You went down pretty hard Clay, how are you feeling?" Ray asked.
"I'll be okay. Just don't tell Mia. I am going to be in sooooo much trouble" he groaned, shaking his head.
"Don't shake your head Tinkerbell" Sonny added with a smirk.
His friend was so high on meds, it was amusing to watch.
"Too late" Mia said softly.
Clay opened his eyes and looked at Mia with a dopy smile.
"Hi Miiaa, you are so pretty, did I ever tell you that? You have pretty lips, I just want to eat your lips" he slurred, trying to reach up and caress her face.
"Jesus Christ" Jason rolled his eyes as he walked away from the bed with Ally in his arms still.
Sonny took out his phone to record the show that Clay was putting on.
"It's the concussion making you talk like that" she explained, putting his arm down so he didn't pull out his IV.
He shook his head, only to grimace, "oww, nope, I always likeded your lipppss" he replied.
Mia just giggled and continued running her fingers through his hair.
She just smiled at him as he looked up at her drunk-on pain meds.
"You are beautiful" he reached up to caress her cheeks when Mia grabbed his hand and put his hand down.
Mia smiled down at him, "thank you" she replied.
"Okay, we are done here" Jason announced, gestured for everyone to leave the room.
"Get some rest Spencer" he said to the youngest member of his team.
Mia turned to her brother, "can you take Ally home and put her to sleep? I am going to stay with him tonight" she said.
Jason nodded and grabbed the baby bag from Mia, following her, as she turned to leave.
Clay squeezed her hand, causing her to turn around, "don't go Mia" he pulled her closer to the bed.
She smiled and walked over, squeezing his hand, "I'm not going anywhere. I am just going to walk Jason out" she informed him.
He nodded and closed his eyes, resting back against the pillow. Rest was going to be his best friend to get rid of the concussion.
Mia walked out with Jason, directly to her car. She gave him her keys and kissed her daughter before saying goodbye to Jason.
"Keep me posted okay" he said.
She nodded, "yeah, I will" she said goodbye to the rest of the guys as they walked out after them.
The guys stood outside with Jason as he got Ally in the car. "Should we call Stella?" Ray asked.
"Probably, we can call her in the morning" Jason replied as he got Ally settled and made his way around the back of the car.
The guys all separated and went their separate ways with a plan to meet Mia at the hospital the next morning for Clay to be released.
Mia made her way back into the hospital and took a seat in the recliner next to Clay's bed. She reclined so she was laying on his shoulder, his hand entangled with hers.
"You came back" he said sleepily.
Mia smiled and curled into him as much as she could while staying in the chair. "Just rest up" she replied, "I am not going anywhere. I haven't in the past nine months, and I won't in the future."
"I love you Mia" he leant forward and kissed the top of her head as he sagged in sleep.
