"...it'll take us somewhere between 4,5 and 5 hours to make it down to you and my colleague and I still have to pick her up so I think you can expect us around 7 tonight."

Clay stared out of his car's windshield at the college campus as he listened to Ms. Ross on the phone and mentally tried to figure out how he could get everything he needed in order before his life was forever changed by the arrival of his sister.

"Okay, I'll see you at around 7 tonight Ms. Ross. Do you have my address?"

He could hear how the social worker shuffled some papers around before she answered.

"Yes I do, I don't however have an apartment number?"

"It's apartment 324, so on the third floor and then down the hallway to your left and around the corner, my door will be the first on your right side."

"Thank you Mr. Spenser, I'll see you at around 7."

"Yes, I'll see you then Ms. Ross, bye." Clay answered with a nod and then hung up the phone.

Pulling his car key out of its lock, Clay opened the door of his Nova and stepped out into the balmy air of the early afternoon. Just as he was about to slip his phone into his back pocket he changed his mind and opened his group text with his brothers.

Clay: She'll be here tonight, around 7.

Before he even had a chance to close the app it buzzed in his hand multiple times as all his teammates apparently had their phones in their hands.

Ray: What do you need brother? Naima and I can check what we have from when Jam was her age.

Jay: Alana is calling Naima as we speak, they'll get a list together, if not volunteer to do some shopping.

Brock: Cerb and I look forward to meeting her.

Sonny: I'm with Davis at the VA hospital - long story, tell you more later - but let me know if you need me.

Trent: You know we got your back, just let us know what you need.

Clay: Thanks. I'll do that. And Jay, tell Alana thank you for getting on this. Now I need to break the news to Stella…

Sonny: Good luck, Goldie!

Clay chuckled slightly as he put his phone away and then he took a fortifying breath as he made his way over to the curved staircase that would take him down to the half circle where Stella had mentioned they were having their class this week.

As he reached the last part of the stairs, he finally got his eyes on his beautiful girlfriend and for a moment he just stood there and watched her, knowing that in a few moments things between them were going to change, in one way or another.

"...speak to Ms. Baxter, who, as always, knows more than any of us."

Hearing Stella's last name coming from Gordon snapped Clay back to the present and as Stella moved in front of the students gathered on the stone semicircle, he made his way down to the last few steps.

His movement in her periphery must have tipped her off because Stella glanced over at him and Clay couldn't stop the smile that wanted to take over his face as she started to stumble over her words. As she ran over to him, wrapped her arms around him and a small shriek escaped from her mouth, he full on grinned like a fool.

He laughed as he spun around with his girl in his arms and for a few seconds he just stayed in that moment, with her, not caring for a second about her advisor or the students sitting right next to them or about the important conversation they had to have. Right now he was just a guy seeing his girl for the first time in months and she was just a girl happy to see him.


It took them close to an hour to get back to the apartment after Clay's surprise appearance at the school because, like it or not, Stella still had to wrap things up and when they finally stepped through the apartment door Clay anxiously glanced at his watch and felt the nervousness creep even higher up his neck.

After tossing his bag down on the floor next to the storage room door he made his way over to the couch, fell back against it and let his head rest on the back of it as Stella continued to talk at him from the kitchen.

"...and then I have the MLA conference but since you're supposed to have some time off maybe we can,"

"Babe, can you come here for a moment." Clay asked, interrupting her in the middle of her planning out their next few weeks.

Stella froze for a moment as she looked up from where she was taking a glass out of the cabinet and then slowly put it down on the counter as she saw the look on his face. She wasn't sure what that face was but she was very sure that she didn't much like it and she had no idea why.

"Sure…" she said softly and crossed the room and sat down next to him but at an angle so that she could still look at him.

Neither said anything and Clay kept his eyes on the ceiling while Stella started to twist her hands.

"Clay? What's going on? You're starting to worry me."

He tilted his head so that he could look at her and with a deep sigh he sat up, turned towards her and took her hands in his, giving them a gentle squeeze.

"I don't really know how to start this conversation but we need to have it now and while I don't want to worry you because there isn't anything wrong with us, what I'm about to tell you will have a huge impact on our relationship."

Stella's eyes widened at his words and she had to swallow back the lump forming in her throat. Clay squeezed her hands again and let out a deep breath before he continued.

"As we landed today I got a phone call from a social worker in D.C. about a 2 year old girl whose mother has recently died in a car crash."

Stella froze and for a second she felt as if she couldn't breathe. Did Clay have a child? Was he a father to a little girl he hadn't known about?

As if he were reading her thoughts he shook his head.

"No, no, I'm not her dad. Turns out I'm actually her brother. Apparently Ash has a daughter he didn't feel the need to tell me about and also, surprise, he has no interest in her whatsoever and is probably working on giving up any parental rights to her as we're speaking."

If Stella's eyes had been wide before they were now on the verge of popping out of their sockets. She stared at her boyfriend for what felt like an hour before she finally blinked and got her ability to speak back.

"Ok, so you have a sister. What did the social worker want you to do with that information after two years?!

"Yeah, about that… as Ash doesn't want her and her dead mother was an orphan with no siblings and Ash in turn is an only child, I'm their last hope of placing her with family." Clay answered in a rush and then watched as Stella paled before his eyes.

"I know we haven't even talked about kids and I know I've been gone for months, but… I need to know how you feel about this."

"Clay… I don't… I mean what about your job? My job? As you said you've been gone for more than half of our relationship. I don't even know… what… how…" Stella mumbled as her eyes flew around the apartment, not staying in any particular place.

"Babe, hey, focus on me for a second."

Her eyes swung back to Clay's and finally locked on him.

"I know this is out of left field, but I need your feelings on this because… well… Katie will be here by 7 tonight."

Stella ripped her hands out of his, got to her feet and backed away from the couch, him, with her hands up as if they were a threat.

"You can't be serious! You just got home after being away for months and now you're taking in a two year old all willy-nilly?"

Clay ran his fingers through his hair for the umpteenth time since he got back to VA Beach and then he looked at his girlfriend again.

"Yes, Stella, I am. Because I can't, no, I won't, let that little girl down. I won't let her be put in long term foster care or adopted by who knows who before I even get to know her. Because that little girl is my family, Katie is my sister and I will do whatever I can to give her a better life."

Startled by the passion in his voice and the determination with which he spoke, Stella dropped down in the armchair she'd just recently added to the living room and closed her eyes as she tried to make sense of what he'd just told her. This wasn't a conversation of if Clay's sister was going to come here, it was him telling her she would.

The buzzing of Clay's phone made her eyes fly back open and she watched as Clay unlocked it and read whatever text he'd gotten.

"That, eh, that was Jason. Alana and Naima are coming over with the basics to get us through tonight and tomorrow morning." he said as he looked up and met her questioning gaze.

Blowing out a breath Stella nodded her head. She then looked around the one bedroom apartment she'd been pretty much living in full time since he'd gotten it.

"Clay, where is she even going to sleep? This is a one bedroom apartment."

His gaze flew to where he'd tossed his bag and the door next to it before he focused back on her.

"Yeah… do you remember when we first looked at this place?" he asked and when Stella nodded her head he once again looked over to the door.

"Do you also remember what he said the storage closet could be converted into?"