Before the briefing begins, the elite operators that compose Bravo Team file into the room with all the grace and dignity of a gaggle of 10-year-olds.

Blackburn watches them and manages to keep his smile internal. The last thing they need is encouragement.

They settle at the table, still bickering about something or another, and Eric's gaze automatically goes to the empty seat where Spenser should be. No one mentions him, but they don't need to for his absence to hang heavy over the room.

It reminds Blackburn of the days after they lost Nate; of how the hole in the world where he had been followed them everywhere for a while. In briefings, Eric's ears used to ring with the silence that filled the places where Nate would have commented or contributed.

He gets a little stab of old, well-worn grief when he realizes that stopped happening somewhere along the way, and he didn't even notice when it did.

Then he reminds himself that this isn't like that. Grief doesn't apply here, because Spenser is very much alive. That kid might be too stubborn to ever die.

At Eric's side, Mandy starts talking, laying out the basic framework of the upcoming mission. Unfortunately, it has nothing to do with Bakar Abdhir; he has once again disappeared off the face of the planet. Mandy swears she'll find him. Blackburn tries to believe her. He does know one thing: if anyone can find the bastard, it will be Mandy Ellis.

Once Mandy has finished her short mission summary, she glances over at Blackburn, which is his cue. "Y'all'll be needing a sixth man for this mission."

That gets the reaction he expected: shifty eyes, shuffling. Bravo is absolutely united in their rejection of anything that might resemble even hinting at replacing Spenser.

"We can take Kairos," Jason says, then looks almost comically betrayed when Blackburn immediately shakes his head.

"Afraid not. The guy has already been chosen. It's out of your hands." He tips his head toward the back of the room, where Bravo's sixth man has managed to slip in without notice.

There's an instant of shock as it sinks in. Then the room dissolves into chaos as Bravo Team, all talking at once, leave their chairs to surround a sheepishly smiling Clay Spenser.

After Spenser has endured the requisite series of bone-cracking hugs, Hayes stands in front of him, hands on his shoulders, and looks intently into his face. "You good, Bravo Six?"

"Good as new, boss." Spenser sounds cocky as ever, and his smile doesn't droop on the left, not even a little bit.

Hayes nods, claps him on the arm, swallows back a flicker of emotion, and turns to Eric and Mandy with a raised eyebrow. "You could have just told me he was cleared for duty. Were the theatrics really necessary?"

"No," Mandy says cheerfully. "But we really enjoyed them."

Hayes gives her a look that's probably meant to be exasperated, but the glimmer of a smile kind of ruins it.

Once things settle back down, Ellis starts going into detail on the mission and what it will entail. Blackburn stands next to her and lets his gaze travel around the room, from one face to another … everyone right where they should be.

The end, for real this time. Thank you all so much for sticking with me and leaving so many nice reviews.