Clay let out a sigh of relief as the C-17 touched down on the tarmac at the Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach. His first deployment with Bravo had been a mix of bad, terrible and worse and to be honest he was just happy that they were all coming home in one piece, only more or less dinged up. A helo crash would do that…
As he was about to shoulder his bag he jumped a little when his cell started to ring in his back pocket. It had been a while since he'd been able to use it and he had only just powered it on.
"Spenser." He answered without really looking at the screen as he put his bag back down on the seat.
"Mr. Spenser? This is Margerie Ross with D.C. Child and Family Services Agency." A female voice replied and Clay pulled the phone away from his ear to actually check the screen. Seeing that the area code indeed indicated D.C., he put it back against his ear.
"How can I help you Ms. Ross?" he asked carefully because for the life of him he couldn't figure out why the CFSA in D.C. would call him.
"Is your father Ashland Spenser?"
"He is..."
"Good, he was the one who gave us this number. I know this might come out of left field for you, but I have to ask; are you aware that you have a 2 year old sister, Mr. Spenser?"
Clay's mouth dropped open. He what now?!
"I'm sorry, I have a WHAT now?!"
Clay's outburst made his teammates stop their chatter and they all turned their heads to look over at him, eyebrows raised in question. Clay waved them off but neither member of Bravo turned away, instead they fully turned to look at their youngest brother, their "spider senses" now tingling.
"So I take it you don't, or didn't." Margerie said with a loud sigh.
"No, I really didn't." Clay said slowly. "Are you sure about this? Because my father has never once mentioned it."
"We are quite sure about it Mr. Spenser, I talked to your father less than an hour ago and his name is on Katie's birth certificate."
"Her name is Katie?" he asked, still confused and now even more perplexed. Why was a social worker informing him he had a sister? And more importantly, why now?
"She's called Katie but her full name is Katherine. Katherine Spenser Hudson"
Clay shook his head as his brows drew together in a frown.
"I have to ask Ms. Ross, what does this have to do with me?"
There was a moment of silence on the other side of the call before she answered.
"Mr. Spenser, Katie is in our care at the moment and you are our last hope in finding a relative to take her in."
For the second time during this short call Clay was stunned. Take her in?!
"Mr. Spenser?" Margerie asked gently as her statement was met with silence for an extended period of time.
Clay's silence, wide eyes and half opened mouth made his teammates take a step closer, which also pulled him from his shock.
"Wait, take her in? Where's her mom? And what about Ash?"
"Yes, take her in," Margerie said with a small sigh. "Unfortunately, Samantha, that's her mother, died in a car crash 3 days ago. Katie miraculously survived without so much as a scratch but her mother was an orphan and her father, your father, point blank told me he wasn't interested in taking her and said he would look into giving up his rights because his life had no place for a little girl."
"Of course he did…" Clay muttered under his breath as he squeezed his eyes closed.
"That was about an hour ago and when I asked if he had any other family, someone who could be interested in Katie, he offered up your name."
Clay laughed silently to himself and shook his head, of course Ash had offered up his name, knowing full well that a little girl wasn't in his plans either but could he really…
Opening his eyes, Clay looked from Jason to a worried looking Ray and then focused his gaze on the floor in front of him.
"I have to ask Ms. Ross, did my father happen to mention what I do for a living? Because my job…"
"He mentioned that you're in the Navy, Special Warfare, but he also mentioned that you have a live-in girlfriend and if I'm honest? We are stretched thin on foster families and if you have a stable home to offer your sister, we are more than willing to expedite transfer of custody."
The words of the social worker left Clay stunned, again, and for a moment he was left speechless, staring at the gray floor of the C-17.
"Mr. Spenser?" Margerie asked for a second time in just a few minutes.
"Yes, sorry Ms. Ross, I just, I mean I'm kinda… well I'm a bit shocked over here to be honest." he finally answered, his eyes looking from one concerned brother to another, finally landing on his boss who tilted his head in question.
"I understand that and if you need a moment to consider it I can call you back in 30 minutes? But I really need a decision one way or another after that because Katie is in an emergency foster care home at the moment and if you can't take her, I need to start making other long term plans for her."
Clay nodded his head in answer before he caught himself and realized she couldn't see him from the other side of a phone call.
"I would really appreciate it if you did, I have to wrap my mind around this before I make a decision."
"Totally understandable, Mr. Spenser. I'll get back to you in half an hour, ok?"
"Thank you Ms. Ross, talk then, bye."
After hanging up, Clay tossed his phone down on top of his previously discarded bag and dropped down next to it, face hidden in his hands as his head spun with what he was just told and the decision he now had to make.
Jason watched as his rookie almost fell back down in the seat he'd occupied on the last part of their flight home with a frown on his face.
"Spenser? What's going on? Who called you?" he asked as he walked over and stood next to the kid and looked from him to his discarded phone.
Clay sighed deeply, ran his hands down his face, removed the cap from his head, and raked his fingers through his hair before he looked up at his boss. He then looked from Jason to the rest of his brothers and then back to meet his boss's eyes.
"Apparently I have a baby sister." he answered slowly, still not believing the words leaving his mouth.
If Clay hadn't been so lost in his own head he probably would've laughed at the various facial expressions that appeared on the faces of Bravo 1 through 5 as his words settled, leaving them almost as shocked as he was.
"Baby sister? Clarify that for us brother." Ray said, always the level headed and practical one.
"Baby sister, as in she's just 2 years old."
Ray's eyes widened, Jason gaped at him, Sonny's ever present toothpick fell to the floor and Trent and Brock just stared at him.
"Precisely." Clay said and once again ran his fingers through his longer-than-normal hair.
"Ok, but what does this have to do with you Cinderella?" Sonny asked, eyes narrowing as if he could read Clay's mind that way.
"Katie, that's her name by the way, needs a home." he answered, still not convinced this was actually a real conversation he was having with his teammates, his brothers.
"A home? Kid, break this down for me in 15 words or less." Jason finally said as he crossed his arms across his chest and leaned against the boxes stacked next to him.
Clay let out yet another sigh and leaned his head back so that he stared at the ceiling this time.
"Baby sister, mom dead, Ash doesn't want her, it's me or foster care."
They all looked from Clay to each other for a moment, and then Ray dropped down on the seat next to their discombobulated brother and laid a hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.
Silence settled around Bravo for a few minutes before Jason uncrossed his arms and hunched down in front of his rookie.
"So, what are you going to do?" he asked, concern written across his face.
Clay glanced at his boss and in that moment he also made his decision, knowing that his brothers and their families would back him up.
"I'm going to do what any one of you would, I'm going to bring Katie home."
They all nodded their heads, knowing that Clay was right, it was what they all would most likely have done if they were in his shoes and they would do what they could to help him with this situation, with Katie.
Just as they all had gathered their stuff, was about to walk down the ramp and set their feets firmly on US soil again, Sonny turned his head toward Clay.
"Hey Kid, I know I'm not the relationship guru here but, uh, have you thought about how Stella is gonna take the addition of a toddler to your happy little home?"
Clay stopped short at Sonny's question. How had he totally forgotten about his girlfriend?
