Hey friends:)) This is my first SEAL Team fanfiction and the first fanfic I have written in a LONG time! So thank you for your patience; I would love kind and constructive feedback! For clarity: this story is set after the death of Alana, towards the end of deployment. Clay did NOT get injured or sent home, but Swanny and Clay were still close BEFORE Clay deployed, and Clay got the news that Swanny took his life while overseas. I'm super excited about this story, and I hope you all love it 3
Margot stretched as the sun rose the next morning, signaling that it was time to wake Mikey and Emma up for school and start breakfast. After giving them both a gentle wake-up reminder, she returned to her room to throw on a pair of leggings and a crop top and walked downstairs to start some pancakes. As she flipped the pancakes, she thought of her mom, wondering what she would think of her doing what she swore she never would: returning to Virginia Beach. This city held so much. It represented love, friendship, family, but most discernibly: loss.
Interrupting her thoughts was a hug from her younger sister. "Good morning, Margs! What's for breakfast?" pausing, she turned back to her older sister, "Are you okay? You look like you were deep in thought."
"I'm okay," she said, smiling back. "Just thinking of Mom. I wish she were here right now." Margot said as she returned to the stovetop to finish breakfast.
"I do too. I'm sorry that you had to put your life on hold. I wish I had been able to handle everything, but it got so overwhelming I felt like I couldn't breathe."
"Emma, you're 17. You were never supposed to have to do all this: taking care of Mikey, the cooking, the cleaning, being there for Dad, and figuring out college all by yourself," Margot replied as she brought her sister in for a tight hug. "I love you. I'm sorry that it took me so long to come and help you, but trust me, this isn't me putting my life on hold. I got my dream job that I will start in a few months, I'm getting my dream car in a few weeks, and most importantly, I get to be surrounded by my family and friends that I have missed so much. I wouldn't change it for the world, I promise."
They stood in the kitchen silently holding each other for a moment, neither girl wanting to cry before 7 AM. Margot was so grateful for her siblings that morning as she drove them to school for the first of many times.
After dropping them off, Margot returned home to get things in order. She cleaned their house for what seemed like the first time since Alana died. She put away her mother's purse, shoes, and wallet. She folded her mother's laundry that had sat in the laundry basket for months. Her heart broke slightly every time she touched something of Alana's, and she surprisingly felt empathy for her dad. She thought about how unfathomably heartbroken he must be to have been unable to move anything that belonged to his wife. Margot decided to send a message to her dad. Even though things were complicated between them, she knew he needed her support.
Margot: Hey, Dad. I was hoping we could talk sometime this week! I cleaned the house today, thinking of Mom and you too. I thought it would be fun to go Jeep hunting together when you get back this month! I love you!
Dad: Hey, Margs. I'd love that. We'll have a team barbeque, too; I know the guys have missed you and want to see you- this deployment has been hard on everyone. I can give you a call sometime later this week. Love ya, kiddo.
Margot breathed a sigh of relief, thankful her dad didn't seem mad at her. She had no idea what had made this deployment hard on them and hoped everyone was hanging in there. She missed those guys a lot and would do anything for them. She grew up around the guys and considered most of them her uncles, well, except Clay, who was just five years older than her and one of her best friends. Smiling at the thought of him, she sent him a text too.
Margot: Hey stranger:)) Haven't heard from you in a while!
Clay: Hey, Ms. Margot! Heard you graduated college and are a big girl teacher now. Super glad you moved back home. I was missing my best friend. Sorry I haven't been texting much. I've been having a rough time. Happy to tell ya about it when I get back home. Miss ya Margs.
Margot smiled at his quick reply. She missed him so much. It had been a long time since they had gotten coffee and driven around talking like they used to do before everything in her life went to shit. Truthfully, he was the person she missed most out of the guys. Everything was so easy with Clay. She didn't feel like she had to hide her feelings around him. She could just be herself. Margot hadn't felt like herself in a long time.
Clay and Margot had talked some over the last few months, but she could tell things were different. He had lost his friend Swanny, and she had lost her mom. They were both hurting and didn't want to burden each other, even though each other was what they really needed.
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Over the next few weeks, Margot got the hang of things around the house. She and Emma took turns making breakfast and dinner and taking Mikey to and from practice. She sat down with Emma and helped her apply to colleges, scholarships, and all that not-so-fun stuff. Even though every day spent in her mom's home was a constant reminder of what she had lost, Margot was thankful to be home, and Emma and Mikey were grateful she was there to help.
Margot got the keys to her classroom and finally went to the school to start setting up after dropping the kids off. She was super nervous about being in a new workplace and starting her career as a teacher but was mainly excited. One of her best friends from high school, Kelsey, got a job teaching 5th grade at the same school as her, and they were going out to celebrate after work.
Margot was very thankful to have Kelsey as a friend. She felt lonely without any of the guys to talk to and needed someone to go out and have fun with.
"M!" screeched a familiar voice from her classroom door. " I am so glad to see you! I have missed you so much! How is setting up going?"
"Kels!" Margot screeched back as she pulled her friend into a hug. "I'm literally so excited that we are at the same school. I'm having so much fun decorating, but it's a little overwhelming, and I'm excited to go out and relax tonight."
Kelsey laughed, "I don't know how relaxing tonight will be, but it will be fun!"
After finishing work, they went to Kelsey's to get ready. Margot sat on her bed, unable to decide what to wear, as Kelsey put on a red top and a short leather skirt.
"Girl, will you hurry up? I wanna get going, and you have been staring at your clothes for an hour."
Margot buried her face in her hands before saying, "I'm sorry! I haven't gone out in so long that I don't know where to start.
"Here, wear this," replied Kelsey as she tossed her a short black dress and some cute heels to go with it. "You can't ever go wrong with a little black dress."
They drove to their go-to bar, one far enough away from VA Beach that they wouldn't run into too many Navy guys. Margot nervously adjusted her dress as she walked to the bartender to order drinks for the two. After getting their drinks, Margot couldn't help but notice a man approaching her. As she turned to Kelsey, she realized that she had already gone off to do her own thing.
"Hey, pretty lady," He said as he came up close beside her. "What are you celebrating tonight?"
Normally hesitant around strangers, Margot looked up at the tall man. She looked over at Kelsey, who just winked and mouthed, "Go for it!"
Deciding to take a risk, Margot turned in her seat to look at the attractive man. "A new job and moving back home," she said, smiling.
They drank and talked for hours before he broke the nice bubble saying, "Wanna come back to my place?"
Margot, who had too much to drink, considered it but didn't want to leave Emma and Mikey alone for the night and knew it wasn't smart to go home with a stranger after drinking that much.
"I can't, sorry. It was nice spending the evening talking with you, though," she said, smiling.
"Come on, baby," he said, standing up and grabbing her hips. "It'll be fun."
"No, I can't," she replied firmly. "I have to get going," removing his hands from her body and turning to grab her purse.
"I said come back to my place," in saying this, the tone of the once charming man shifted, and he reached out to pull her into him.
Margot started to panic and again stepped away from him. She looked around for Kelsey, having no luck finding her. She reached for her phone and called the only person she knew to call, Clay.
"Hey baby, when will you be here? I'm ready to go home," Margot said into the phone as she watched the once-aggressive man back away after learning she had a man. She turned and walked out to the truck, taking a deep breath as she locked the doors.
"Margot? Did you mean to call me? Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay. A guy just got a little handsy at the bar, and I needed an out. Thanks for answering. I know you're probably busy."
"Hey, I'm never too busy for you, Margs. Are you okay now? Are you safe?"
"Yeah, I'm back in the truck and about to call an Uber because I drank wayyy too much," Margot slurred through the phone.
"Okay, Margs. Text me when you're home, okay?"
"Okay, I will," she smiled into the phone before saying, "Hey, Clay?"
"Hey, Margs?"
"I wish you were here with me right now."